New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton

Post-Practice Media Availability

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Opening Statement:"In a roster move yesterday we waived Leigh Torrence and re-signed Tory Humphrey back to the active roster. The final status on these guys today: Jimmy Graham is full, probable, Pierson Prioleau, full, probable, (Marques) Colston, full, probable, Jon Vilma, limited, probable, Tracy Porter, limited, probable, (Anthony) Hargrove, limited, probable, Zach Strief, did not practice, questionable, Stanley Arnoux, did not practice, he'll be ruled out and Chris Ivory with the knee, he did not practice. He'll be ruled out."

Can you discuss Anthony Hargrove's injury?

"It's something that he's been dealing for about a week and a half or two weeks. He just started having some soreness, so we backed him off a day and added him to the report and then he was out here again today. He'll be fine."

Can you talk about what it means to you, the city and the team to have the opener here?

"Number one, anytime you open at home to start the season, it's always a positive. The schedule sometimes isn't always that friendly. When you win the Super Bowl, you get to open at home and play on the Thursday night game. I think it's a chance for certainly our city to celebrate what's become an event now. There are a lot of potential distractions, yet a lot of excitement. I think that's particularly good when it comes to kickoff and the crowd noise and the enthusiasm you want from your own fans."

What have you done to keep your team focused?

"It's a smart team to begin with. They understand in a unique week which this one is. You play your preseason game. The rosters take effect Saturday or Sunday. Our first full practice is that Sunday. It challenges you a little bit with the practice squad and your active roster, but we've just really tried to pay attention to the game plan. All the other things that go into a game like this, I think we've become familiar with. The Monday night games a year ago, the Super Bowl, the NFC Championship. You get to where you can understand the routine, yet what's important and what wins. I think that's where we are right now."

Was the move to cut Leigh Torrence and bring Tory Humphrey back, is that related to the health of Tracy Porter?

"Yes, he's probable and we feel comfortable that he's going to play and play well."

Why did you decide to bring Tory back?

"We're jiggling a spot here to get a tight end up to the roster. Like I said, this first week is a little more difficult dealing with the 53 and your numbers, so for us we felt like that was necessary as we head into this game."

Would the news surrounding Reggie Bush be a distraction for him or the club?

"I think he's done a great job of dealing with that, because it's been ongoing since he's arrived. Certainly from a timing standpoint you get disappointed. It's just a report, but his focus and his maturity level have been fantastic. He's had a great training camp. He's smart enough to understand the challenges this team presents rather than to answer to any of his critics, so I think he's getting ready to play well and have a good season."

Can you talk about how big it is to have had the skill position players in your system for a few years now for the most part, what advantage that provides and what more they can do now?

"When you have continuity in a system, in an offense, in a quarterback and have like you said a number of players that have been involved in this terminology, an offensive line that has been together, it allows you certainly to be farther along and there are some basic things we try to do in regards to experience and that you try to establish each and every week. The repetitions in regards to certain play designs, the formations, and your ability to play multiple personnel groupings…All of that helps when you're dealing with the same characters and same people in those spots. In our case, that's a plus for us."

Do you sometimes go back to plays or designs you used years ago?

"I finished telling them, this is an imperfect game. Early in the season, you want to make sure your mistakes are as a result of energy and effort and not a result of maybe a mental error. With all the distractions and emotions that can potentially come into this game, it still comes down to how you block, how you tackle, the execution of playing football, taking it away. Those are the things you try to harp on. On Friday, we'll have a chance to look at the tape and make the corrections."

Why did you want to go to the dome yesterday?

"Just a chance to get in there and check out the surface, and make sure we got comfortable with the surroundings. It was something different from the normal routine and we brought them in there, had good work. The surface every year in there is new. We play with it with how firm we want it to be. We can change that. It's the same surface that's in here, only this is different with the padding we put in there for practice. We have a chance to get in that facility and if you look at it we've only been in there three times and you play a whole season in there. It was a changeup for us and it went well."