SAINTS HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON
On the game:
"Look, I'll be brief. Obviously it was a poor performance. There wasn't a lot, I'm sure, that we're going to look at on that tape that we're not going to be disappointed in. I have to give credit to Washington… I told the players, I said, 'Hey, all things that we set out to accomplish in this game, I don't know that we've checked one box off.' We got a match of touchdowns early, and it went the other direction real quick."
On potential changes to coaching staff after today's loss:
"Again, we're sitting here after a game… and we're not going to discuss any of those types of changes, certainly not right now."
On the reason for Washington's success today:
"They got to the running back a few times and some man coverage and then, you know, all of the sudden the yards after the catch became significant. We didn't do a whole lot well. We struggled tackling, and it seemed like one big play after another, screens… So, a few of those times were man looks where we weren't able to stay with them."
On their effort:
"We will be able to look at that on tape. We had a good week of practice, and I'll be honest with you, I paid close attention to it. In the second half, I paid close attention to it. I think there was a lot of frustration and we will have a chance to see that. But, by and large, I don't think that was the issue."
On RB Mark Ingram not playing in the third quarter:
"He was still coming off of a nick in the first half and getting treatment, so he wasn't back and ready yet."
On if RB Marcus Murphy will get a chance to be the primary returner again:
"Well, he is. On kick returns we put C.J. [Spiller] back there just to give us a little juice. I figure we are only going to have possibly two quarters, but he is in the punt."
On if he is concerned about the defense:
"Listen, it is obviously a concern. It is hard to win."
On his message to the team heading into bye week:
"We'll see. It'll be delivered tomorrow. So we'll have a chance to look at this film and evaluate it, obviously. It'll be good."
On if the defensive struggles impact the offense:
"Listen, I think that early in that game, we're at 14 and then all of a sudden, quarterback gets hit a few too many times and we can't convert a third down early. Our third down numbers weren't that good and we were in third-and-long quite a bit so… it's not because of 'this,' it was the other. We didn't play well enough offensively."
On if the team had a different defensive approach:
"Typically you would have a plan that might involve more certain personnel or certain man or zone pressures and that would vary week-to-week. We kind of knew that we were going to get a heavy dose of the running game and obviously we didn't handle it well."
On if his approach will change so far out from the playoff hunt:
"Listen, we're approaching each week with our best opportunity to win football games period, and that'll be every game. That won't change. That won't change. Our approach, our focus is going to be on the next game."
