<span style="">                 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers</span>   

Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saints Head Coach Sean Payton

• "Just from an injury standpoint, Jabari (Greer) came out for a few plays; he tweaked his groin.
• "One of the things we talked about was trying to get our legs back. We played a good team.
• "I thought we hung in there in the second half. The kicking game, we won that battle, and that was significant for us. We hung around offensively and got some things going. It's good to get the win. There's a lot of things we can improve on. I think it's a very well coached team we played.
• "I thought there was a point in the fourth quarter where the momentum kind of shifted.
• (on 8-0 start) "It doesn't really promise you anything. I'm encouraged with how we've been playing. I'm encouraged we've been able to win some of these games without playing our best football. I don't think we're paying a lot of attention to where this compares to past teams. I think we're just focused on the job at hand and next week. I'm excited for our players. Early on, it would have been real easy to get discouraged. We battled back and I think all three phases in the second half played well.
• "We were getting a lot of coverage. We're not going to force throws. Carolina did a good job in coverage. Historically, they've been a real patient defense. We made a few plays later in the game. I thought the offensive line played well, particularly in the second half.
• "I think it's important to get these guys away for a couple of days and get them rested.
• (on resiliency) "That's been the encouraging thing. The body language is important. We had made a few mistakes. We had the turnover in the red zone just after we had gotten the turnover. Those are all things that can potentially hurt you in a game. You never lose sight of your ability to come back. That was encouraging.
• (on Anthony Hargrove) "To his credit, he's been able to take it one day at a time and work hard. I think the support cast and his decision to seize that opportunity, obviously we're real proud of him.
• (on fourth quarter success this season) "We made a point of emphasis in the offseason of trying to finish. I think we're playing better defense. I think we're running the ball better. I think we're getting turnovers. Those things lend themselves to playing better at the end of the game.
• (on Carolina RBs) "Those are two good running backs. Once we got a handle of what they were doing, we were able to hold up. I thought our players, especially as the game went on, did a good job on their run-pass keys.
• (on Robert Meachem) "It was big. He made a few big plays in the seams. At different times, you don't know where the ball's going to go based on the coverage. Robert took advantage; that was significant." NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PLAYERS

9 QB DREW BREES

• "The more you win games like this, the more confidence you gain. You just feel like you're going to come back and you're going to do it. On the flip side, every team that comes in and plays you knows it's going to be a 60-minute game.
• (on first series of 2nd half) "It was huge. Going into half, we would have like to had a touchdown. We felt like we could close the gap really closely. We had the big play to Devery. That was a big drive.
• (on 8-0) "It's great. 1967 until now, and we're the only team to have done that. I feel like we have a special group of guys. We feel like we have what it takes to continue to win, as long as we take care of the little things, continue to get better. In these last three games, we've come out in the fourth quarter and taken the game over.
• (on first half) "I take responsibility for the way we came out offensively. I turned the ball over twice. I'm really disappointed in myself, knowing how important the game was today. What I can take pride in is the way we bounced back, our entire team. We know we've got what it takes to come back and win.
• "On a small scale, turnovers are a part of the game. The way I break it down from the quarterback position, there are interceptions that are out of your control, there are the pocket fumbles and then there's the others when you're holding the ball too long and it's your fault.
• (on being halfway to potential 16-0 season) "Anything's possible. We haven't talked about it at all, not one bit. What we talk about is the next game, the next opponent, the next challenge. Every team we play from here on out has us marked with a big star. We understand what's at stake here and the opportunity we have; it just doesn't come along that often.
• "I believe everything happens for a reason. The more times you're in a situation like that and the more ways you can find to win games, you can draw upon it. Continuing to find ways to get better and draw from your experiences, that's what it means to be a battle-tested team.
• (on pass to Henderson) "Devery's pass was a third-and-5, man-to-man. He does a good job of beating the defender. The safety takes a bad angle. It was a great individual effort on his part.
• (on Meachem) "Lance being down, as big a part of the offense as he is, those two guys knew they would be a bigger part of the offense today. Obviously, they can really help us win and they did."

  91 DE WILL SMITH

• "They started off pretty well against us. We came out and we were a little over-excited and forgot what to do.
• (on comebacks) "One of the things is we're in great shape. Coach Payton and Coach Williams have done a good job in keeping us healthy and taking care of our bodies. Their offensive line got a little tired towards the end of the game and their defensive line did as well.
• "The touchdown that tied it up, I would say that was the change of momentum. We knew we had to go out there and hunker down and getting our offense back out there.
• (on 8-0 start) "It doesn't mean anything right now. We've got to keep going forward.
• (on short week) "I don't think it affected us. The guys took care of their bodies.
• #69 DL Anthony Hargrove
• (On shutting the Carolina offense down the second half) "The game is 60 minutes. That's why the game is four quarters. No matter what the score is at halftime, we have to fight to the end. We try to play hard. That was the difference in the game."
• (On if they settled down against the Carolina rushing offense) "They came out and did some things early, but we did alright once we settled down. You saw the way the game went. It's hard not to get hyped in front of this home crowd. Your technique can get a little messed up, but we settled down. We came together and won as a team."
  Panthers Head Coach John Fox

• (on what happened to the play of the team in the second half) "I thought, in the second half, that some things came back to haunt us, like not having any fullbacks. We had an offensive guard in there on first and goal at the 1. I thought that was a huge play in the game. There was some bumping into the quarterback. We didn't get the exchange. We ended up on settling on a field goal. I thought that was a huge part of the game. I think that was the start of the fourth quarter or right at the end of the third. There were some turnovers at inopportune times. There were some big plays defensively that we weren't giving up in the first half that I thought we gave up in the second half.
• (on the two long pass plays to Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem) "I think one of them was on third and five, third and medium. They ran a slant and he broke back across the grain and took it down to about the 5. I believe it was also a third down on the second one. It could have been second and long. I can't really recall. We had people there. We just didn't make the play.
• (on the play of DeAngelo Williams) "I thought (he played) good. He plays good every week. I'm sure he's frustrated just like I am and everybody in that locker room. We had some good performances, but unfortunately not enough.
• (on his thoughts on going up 14-0 early in the game) "We weren't overconfident by any stretch. We played this team before and know their potency on offense. It's a 60-minute game."
• (on the play of Jake Delhomme) "Jake managed the game well. He's done that for a lot of the games. We had our chances. Unfortunately, we came up a little short today. It's kind of like how I coached and how the rest of us played. We just came up short."
• (on the 3-5 record of the team) "I believe that we're still a good football team. That was a good football team that we played today. Unfortunately, we came up a little short. It's my challenge to them moving forward."
• (on the play of Thomas Davis and Jon Beason) "I thought our guys were going to rise to the challenge as a very, very good offense (of the Saints). It's those types of games that it's not too hard to get fired up for. I thought both of those guys did a fine job." CAROLINA PANTHERS PLAYER QUOTES

17 QB JAKE DELHOMME

• (on final drive) "In the end we just didn't get it done. They (Saints) did a great job of pinning us back there on the 2-yard line. It's unfortunate what happened (DeAngelo Williams' fumble) but that's football. I handed it off & saw the ball come out. And I saw No. 69 (Anthony Hargrove) recover it right then and there. It was evident it was a fumble from my vantage point. The first thing that went through my mind was, 'game over.' I mean we didn't have any time outs left and that was it."
• "We are real disappointed. They (Saints) are a heck of a football team. I said it all week it's the best team in football in our opinion. You look at them on film and then in the game they give you all you want. I mean offensively and defensively. They gave us a lot of match-up problems today. They bring corners, they bring safeties, they bring it all and mix it up."
• "Of course 4-4 for us would have been great, especially after beating a team of this caliber. We've got to say as a team nobody is going to rescue us. We have to get back to work; with Atlanta coming in – a divisional opponent. We're doing some great things, but in the end we just didn't get it done today."
• "Being parts of teams that have won here before (in New Orleans/Superdome) is great. At UL (Lafayette) we did it & we did it here with the Panthers. But, it just didn't happen today."

  31 CB RICHARD MARSHALL

• "There's nothing you can say. They made the big plays when it counted. We knew when we were up 14-0 that they would come back – hey, they did it last year on us. We knew what they were capable of."

  20 CB CHRIS GAMBLE

• "It's real frustrating to give up those big plays, like the one to (Robert) Meachem. Like I said before they just made more big plays than we did. All we can do is bounce back and get ready for Atlanta. I felt we played a great game but we gave them all we could."

  89 WR STEVE SMITH

• (on fumble) "Hey, those mistakes happen. I didn't see the ball until it was on the ground. I just talked to him (DeAngelo Williams) and told him those things are going to happen in this game. It's unfortunate. A guy like that; who runs with that many opportunities; those things are going to happen. Unfortunately it happened at the wrong place at the wrong time. You've got to let it roll off your back somehow, someway."

  52 LB JON BEASON

• "It's pretty disheartening. But you've got to give them credit. They are a good football team – I wouldn't say 'great' just right now because hey; everyone out there saw we can play with them. We proved that for 3 1/2 quarters. We just have to make the plays in the end to come out with a victory."