New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton - Conference Call with New Orleans Media - Monday, October 15, 2018

What are some of the things that stood out on film that Baltimore did well defensively yesterday?                                                                                                             
"Well certainly their pass rush (produced). But I think, just as importantly, their efficiency yesterday on first and second down and really putting Tennessee into those certain favorable down and distances that you want defensively. I thought just watching the game they were real efficient offensively. I thought they were on schedule, they had balance, (and) their third down numbers were fantastic. Overall, it was an impressive win for them."

*Going back to the 2009 season the Saints have the best winning percentage in the NFL after the bye week, what do you think has made the team so successful after the bye week?  *                                                                                                               
"That's a good question, I don't know that I can put a hand on it. I think each team's different and there's a give and take with what you want to try to get done in advance (of the bye week) and then also getting guys away from the building to kind of recharge their battery if you will. I want to say probably after (the) 07 or 08 (season) I visited with Andy Reid a little bit. He's someone that I think a lot of, he's had a lot of success in this league and his record after the bye week was real strong and we chatted a little bit and he just talked about what he did and we kind of followed that a little bit. Players get away from here for a while and then we'll get some extra work in on the opponent today. As coaches, we've been on the film. We know we're playing a real good football team."

*Was it a welcomed bye week considering the way you guys were playing?     *              
"How do I say it? It's kind of like a 4:00 game, a 1:00 game or a 7:30 night game, in the fact you get so conditioned to not paying attention to the things you can't control and then it just is what it is and sometimes maybe you are healthier or not as healthy sometimes. Last year of course, (the bye) it came off of a trip over to London. It's not something you think a lot about other than what you're going to do during it. What corrections you want to make leading up to your next game and then getting an advance jump on the opponent. But I don't know when the perfect weekend for a bye (is). It would be a good one to look at relative to winning percentage and usually youre better teams are going to play better after the bye week."

*Was the bye week good for Marshon Lattimore and is he still in the NFL's concussion protocol?      *                                                                                             
"He's still in the protocol, which is which is necessary because we haven't practiced yet, but he's doing well."

Did you intend to take advantage of Mark Ingram's fresh legs having missed the first four games and give Alvin (Kamara) a break, or was it the way the game played out that allowed you to do that?
"We wanted to run Mark (Ingram) and have that balance. The one thing you definitely see though in the game is there were a number of explosive plays, and so that just changes how the game unfolds. Alvin's (Kamara) nine touches I think is a little bit of a byproduct of a 62-yard scoring strike, another 40-yard score. Those change the pitch count."

We know this was Tre'Quan Smith's best statistical game, but did he grade well everywhere else in addition to the receiving?                                                                 
"He did a good job and he has been someone that we feel like is steadily improving. He blocks well. He made some significant plays that obviously were important plays for us to win the game."

Terrell Suggs is a part of that Baltimore pass rush, how impressed are you that he's still doing what he's doing at age 36?                                                                       
"He's someone that has great athleticism, great knowledge, understands how he wants to rush and it's amazing. Those are unique players that don't come around very often."

Is there anything new behind Drew's (Brees) completion percentage being as high as it is? Are you guys doing anything differently?
"We are always tinkering with things. He was 26-of-29 the other night. 90 percent, which obviously is a high number. Sometimes it depends on the team you are playing. Generally, the more zone coverage you get, maybe the higher completion percentage you'll have. It doesn't necessarily equate to success. In man-to-man coverage it's a little bit more challenging, but a lot of it has to do with his preparation. I think in our third down numbers, we're a little better the other night. Red zone was a lot better. But to your question, I don't know that we've sat in each day and said, 'Alright, we're going this direction to improve the completion percentage.' I think it's a byproduct of how we're operating offensively and there's a lot that goes into that obviously."

When you were watching Baltimore's offense was there any similarity between what they're doing with Lamar Jackson and what you're doing with Taysom Hill?
"I haven't had a chance to completely run through all the different things. I think what we are doing with Taysom is unique in that he is not just coming in and playing (as) a read option quarterback. He is playing a (wide) receiver position. He is playing in the slot. He is playing in a number of different areas and then periodically in the shotgun or under center. So that's unusual and different not just in our league, but that's unusual and in college football (as well). So with each team, when you have something like that, you kind of put your own spin on it and I'm sure that Baltimore's trying to do the same with Lamar."

On the Kamara question earlier, it seems like there was one of those read options where if Taysom might have handed it to him it might have been a big gain. This is a relatively new thing for your offense so how tough is it to watch that play knowing there could be second guessing either way?
"It is part of the deal. We talk all the time. We are not going to play without mistakes. You just want to work on correcting it and understand the looks get different. The more he is back there, the more he'll deal with different looks to the side wherever the backs offset. He ended up coming up with the yardage we needed for the first down and it was one where Terron (Armstead) did a good job of kind of shutting off the end. That safety left the middle of the field because Taysom was in the shotgun position. You just saw the hole that Alvin (Kamara) might have had it, but there was no one else back there. So look you just continue to work on the different formations and what goes along with some of the reads that he's making."

I know teams are different every year, but you guys haven't beaten the Ravens since you've been here. Is there anything you can point to or is it just their long-term success as an organization?
"Each game's been different. Different teams and certainly John (Harbaugh), those guys have done a great job. They've been a consistently good team that's contended and played in playoffs and we haven't played well enough (against them). Hopefully we can we can get that turn(ed) around this week."