New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles - Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
Opening statement:
"I just finished saying this very thing to our team. It didn't start off like we wanted, obviously, with the turnover. Fortunately, we were able to force a four-and-out, but then I thought as the first quarter continued, we were able to turn the momentum in our favor and we did a lot of things that were encouraging. I'll look at the tape tomorrow and probably have a little bit clearer picture of how guys did individually. I thought they played with good energy in all the phases. I thought the kicking game, particularly, was solid. Our situational football, I thought, was good. At the end of the half, we were able to get a short field with the punt and then convert it into a field goal, but there will be a lot of things to coach in this film and we will have time to do it."
On his impressions of DE Marcus Davenport:
"We will look at the tape. I think it would be hard for me to say without us watching it. I think he played 15 to 16 snaps, which was our goal. We'll see."
On the fake punt and QB Taysom Hill:
"It's the time of the year to do that. We feel like he's one of those players—he does a lot of things well. He's a threat as a runner. He's one of the faster guys in the field. He played a good game tonight. He was being double-teamed as one of the core guys of the kicking game. He made a good play on that, (which) changed the field a little bit."
On Taysom Hill's play at quarterback:
"I felt pretty good. It's a little bit easier to have an impression on a quarterback than some other positions, but both he and [QB] Tom [Savage], I think, did a pretty good job."
On Taysom Hill's ability to bounce back after last week:
"Listen, both of those guys have a little bit of something to them. You can expect that those guys will play better. So often, at that position, it's important that the surrounding cast plays well to allow them to do that."
On if the run defense is progressing how he'd like:
"I think it's still a work in progress. I was disappointed early in the game, particularly with our linebacker play. I didn't think that was very good. We'll watch the film to make the corrections."
On LB Demario Davis and LB A.J. Klein still playing in the second half:
"We still needed numbers. They weren't at their pitch count."
On WR Austin Carr's performance:
"He's been steady. Yeah, he's smart. He knows our system well. He had a number of opportunities tonight, so he's competing."
On DB Marcus Williams and his pick-six:
"He's a smart player. He's extremely intelligent. Good instincts and ball skills. He's one of those players that can very quickly pick up the scheme. He's been a good signing for us."
On why he decided to go for two every time:
"We just felt like and I felt like just getting some work and changing up some looks. I am confident enough with our PAT operation and when you're trying to get snaps for the quarterbacks which we are trying to do here, there are just more opportunities to look at both that position and the running back position and just more snaps to evaluate. We didn't talk about it but once we got started we felt like doing it."
On Austin Carr's early start and if you still looking for the role of starting wide receiver:
"Absolutely. That depth chart is written in chalk, it's not permanent ink."
On what he is seeing from WR Cameron Meredith:
"He is getting a lot of work now. This is his second week back after missing a little time but I am encouraged with his progress and I'm encouraged with his conditioning level. It's gotten better and he is going to play a bunch during this week. There will be a number of guys that will play next week that are minus snaps because they weren't getting some of the work early in the preseason."
On what he was hoping to get out of QB Drew Brees tonight:
"It is just an opportunity for him to get out there, move the ball, be sharp and for the players around him to feel the tempo with him. You are not going go through a whole preseason then just start. Regardless of how long you've played, there is still that element of getting out there in a game. Everything from our meeting last night, going through the game plan and all the things we would do in a regular season game, we did with this game."
On if it was the number of plays he expected Brees to play:
"Yes. Fifteen, 17, somewhere in there, that was the goal. We had a few, Terron [Armsted], Drew [Brees], that had an early out."
On what he likes about RB Boston Scott:
"I think he has good balance. I think he is someone who has pretty good vision when he runs. We were trying to get him, [RB Jonathan Williams], [RB] Shane Vereen, those three guys the whole second half and we will continue to do that this week and going into the Thursday night game."
On how important the pick six was for Marcus Williams after getting a penalty:
"We will correct the penalties, we will try to correct the pre-snap alignment errors, we will try to correct all of those things. Still, to make a play in a situation like that is important for him."
On how important it was to see his team function well in the last two minutes of the first half due to the fact that is something they work on in practice:
"We rushed the punter on that last snap, so we rushed eight. We forced an early punt and he didn't hit it well, so very quickly the field position with about a minute and a half all of a sudden we have advantageous field position and we were able to move it in and get a field goal. Those type of things during the regular season are significant. I thought we handled some of those situations better tonight, we certainly spend a lot of time on them."
On if there is potential to have Drew Brees and Tayson Hill on the field at the same time:
"One of the things we have always tried to do is look at our personnel and try to do the things that we feel like they do very well. We haven't gotten that far relative to packages. He is a good football player and there is something he brings to the team that carries and permeates through the sideline when you see a quarterback who is down making a tackle and who is one of the faster players in your coverage units. There is a spirit about him that is contagious and good. I think those are really good traits."
On what it has been like this week practicing and playing against the Chargers:
"Anthony [Lynn] and I have obviously worked together before in Dallas with Bill [Parcells]. We have had two good years now of three days full-padded, shoulder pads and walk-throughs. Both teams handled themselves really well. It benefits both of us and I think both teams understand that. I think the relationships between the staffs is good and you see it in the type of work we have. I think it is something that benefits both teams so hopefully it is something we can continue to do. For us, it is a good chance to get out of the heat a little bit. I know they thought it was hot here but I think it is all relative. It is all relative, but it is good work. It is good to get different looks in practice with someone after you have been working against each other for quite a while."
