New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton
Opening remarks:
"I'll be brief. First off, tip your hat to Philly. They played a great game. Obviously we didn't do the things necessary to win in our league – pretty much in every phase. Turnovers, those were significant. I thought we struggled defending their running game, obviously. And I thought our return game – we thought we would have an edge there – I thought that was just average. All of us got to do a better job. It's going to be a short week and we're going to have to quickly refocus."
On the Eagles' effectiveness in the running game:
"It's a patient attack. (The Eagles) stuck with it. Ultimately, we didn't do a good enough job."
On Eagles cornerback Darius Slay's interception return for a touchdown:
"We got a two-minute drill. Obviously, it comes inside against a good corner. When we see the film – we saw the replay of it – (Slay) sat on the route and it ended up being a significant score at the half."
On the injuries the Saints are facing:
"I don't really want to talk about it – the injuries. I understand the question and it's a good question, but there were a lot of things we did today that weren't injury-related. I appreciate the question, though."
On Saints quarterback Taysom Hill's role Sunday:
"He was the backup quarterback, really, in the event we needed him. We were lucky to have him up just in that role."
On what Hill would have been able to contribute to the offense:
"I don't want to speculate. We were able to get him to move around enough."
On the Saints going into a short week:
"Yeah, listen, it's a quick week. Thursday and then another Thursday, so, we have to get back to work and get ready for a couple of good teams. We played some good teams, but it's going to be on us quick."
On the slow starts offensively with Trevor Siemian at quarterback:
"I don't think so. Look, (Siemian) missed a throw early on. We have a play-action, (Siemian]) just under throws it and (Eagles LB T.J. Edwards) gets his hands on it. I'm not sure."
Saints quarterback Trevor Siemian
On the Saints' slow starts offensively but picking up production late in games:
"I couldn't tell you. The urgency is certainly there in the first half. I look back to the pick I threw on play-action. That's one play that's really going to – obviously the one that's in two-minute, too. (Saints tight end Adam Trautman) was wide open and if I get him that ball who knows how the game plays out. That's what I'm thinking about right now."
On whether he forced the throw on the second-quarter interception return for a touchdown:
"Yeah. Single safety. I moved a little to my left and just left it a hair inside, I think. Looking back, I probably just dirt it or throw it at the running back's feet. There's no reason to put the ball in jeopardy in that situation. I have to make a better decision."
On whether he saw Eagles LB T.J. Edwards on his first interception:
"Yeah. (Trautman] was wide open."
On the Eagles' change in pass coverage in the fourth quarter:
"Yeah, once you get to three scores you get a lot of shell defense and there's a little more space back there. You're not quite playing the game on your terms there. In the fourth quarter you're getting chunks, but it's really not chunks because you have to get back in the game so quickly. Or try to, at least. Everything looked pretty bad going into halftime and then (the Eagles defense) loosened up. They looked like they were trying to squeeze the ball on offense a little bit. Just didn't do enough."
On the Saints' comeback attempt coming up short in the fourth quarter:
"Just too much (to overcome). We put our defense in some tough spots and just too much. That's just too much to try to overcome."
On breaking out of the offensive struggles with a short week upcoming:
"I think we can do it. I think we have the players. I think the one thing no one is saying is, 'Hey, we're dinged up.' It's the NFL. The train is moving. We'll be ready to play Thursday. The urgency is high right now as it was before this game. (The urgency) is high, for sure."
On the confidence in Trautman:
"I think Adam is a good player. I think, at times, these weird plays are kind of glaring to some of us. It's easy to seem like we're down on Adam, but it shows up consistently on film that he's doing the right things, blocking the right guys, (and) making plays. I have no hesitation giving him the ball or trusting that he's going to do his job."
On the performances of tackle Landon Young and guard James Hurst:
"They did a really good job against a really good front. James has obviously been doing everything all year. Really can't say enough about how much he's done and how well he's done this year. I think it's kind of remarkable how much he's moved around and played at a high level. And Landon, (I have) a lot of confidence in him. I think he's going to be a really good player in this league."
On whether the Eagles showed more pressure today than seen on film:
"Yeah, a couple unique pressures that we hadn't seen, maybe. They're allowed to game plan, too. A couple early. But, yeah, they have a good defense, good front. They're well-coached. There's not a lot of easy plays against them."
On the challenges the Saints face on a short week and the remainder of the season:
"Like I said, the urgency is at an all-time high as it was going into (today). We know exactly where we're at. We have to string some (wins) together but it starts with this Thursday. It's one of those short weeks where a lot of times, maybe, you're like, 'I need some more time for my body.' But I think a lot of us are looking forward to playing again quickly."
On the Saints' turnovers hindering the offensive production:
"Three turnovers – two were (from) me in the first half. I'd be curious to know what the percentage is on teams that turn it over three times and win the ball game. I bet it's pretty low. So that's on me. I put our team in a hole early and it's just too tough to dig yourself out of that. Like I said last week, the margin for error is so small."
Saints safety Marcus Williams
On how tough the Eagles' run game is to defend:
"I mean, you seen the tape, you seen the film, and you seen the game. We just have to do our job. It's not about their run game, it's about us doing our job and eliminating those explosive plays with the run. If we do our job, we'll handle that."
On first time experiencing being on a team with three losses in a row and the mood of the team:
"We face adversity all the time. It's just about this next game coming up. We are going to prepare, get our bodies right, and go out there and do what we have to do to get our win."
On Saints Coach Sean Payton's message after the game:
"His message was his message. I'll keep that with us, but it's onto next week."
On how tough it was to get back into the game:
"I mean when you're down, you just have to be positive and think you're going to come back. You know we never get our heads down too much thinking about losing. We were just thinking we were going to come back and win. So, with us we just have a positive mindset to come back and do what we have to do one play at a time, and I think that's what we did."
