New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
Conference Call with Local Media
Thursday, November 7, 2019

There were certain benchmarks that you wanted to see with Drew (Brees) before he came back and you declared him healthy. Has Alvin (Kamara) hit the benchmarks or approached the benchmarks that you're looking for from him?
"I think as this week progressed, I felt yesterday was an important day for Alvin. Today we'll follow it up, but I think it would be similar. I fully expected him to be ready to play and I thought he looked really good yesterday."

Atlanta offensively, they lead the league in passing yards. Do they look pretty similar to what they've looked like the past few years?
"I would say there are a few differences. They've always been a wide zone team. It's still part of what they do. There's been a coordinator change. They're explosive. They are very talented at the receiver, running back and tight end position, (led by) Matt Ryan, who's been there. They can score fast. Their third down numbers are good. There's a handful of things I'm sure as a team they want to be better at, but you do see it and you see their weapons on offense and their ability to score quickly. They're good when they have to convert long yardage situations. They're good in short yardage situations. You're familiar with the personnel. Yes, the scheme is similar and yet there are a few things that maybe are different."

Tre'Quan Smith was back at practice yesterday. What have you seen from him as he's tried to get back into action too?
"Just getting him the work and the reps that he needs. He's another player that I think the bye came at the right time."

The two weeks that you had to go without Alvin (Kamara), does that change anything at all just with the production that Latavius Murray had in his place just as you've worked Alvin back into the lineup?
"Look, it's a good question. I think that, number one, who we're playing. Week one, Alvin coming back we'll be smart. It all matters. It all factors in and the good news is the way he (Latavius Murray) played and the way Alvin's played, we feel like we're real good at that position. They're smart players. They're real good teammates. They're guys that can block, they're guys that can handle the pressures, they can handle the receiving element of it. Obviously, they're uniquely different, but we'll sort through that and figure that out. Certainly it was great to see the way Latavius stepped up and played really in a more multi-dimensional role than our normal rotation."