The probability of getting 3 yards in two downs, is greater than the probability of getting 10 yards in 3 downs.

Also, 2nd and 3 is more like a play where the Saints will often take a shot. I thought for sure they were gonna find a mismatch and take a shot down the field on the second down there. Then they didn't. Oh well. There might have been two plays, a run and a pass called, and Drew saw something and checked into the run, we don't really know.


The other reason it also might have been declined, is because maybe Payton wanted to take the spot of the ball further up field, to get it outside the 20. Inside or around the 20, sometimes bad things happen to Drew's passes, like what happened with the fumble in Seattle last week, or the pick 6 Drew threw against Carolina last year, in almost the exact same spot on the field (except it was in Carolina). Given the probabilities, and that a turnover in that area at that point in the game would really suck, I don't think it was that bad of a call, to just take the yards and keep on going, we were moving the ball okay in the first half. 2nd and 3 the Panthers will show you a different defensive look and personnel than they will on 1st and 10 so maybe that was part of his thinking too. Who knows. I hope someone asks him about it this week because it was an interesting call, although I wouldn't call it a "brain fart" just because Payton doesn't do what you would have done.