Sean Payton wasn't about to sugarcoat this one: It was frustrating to be a part of, and he knew it was probably frustrating to watch.
But he continued to hammer what has become the uninvited mantra of this Saints squad after a 20-3 loss to the Dolphins with more than 20 players and multiple coaches on the COVID list. There would be no excuses.
"There were a number of things offensively that didn’t sit well, I’m sure with all of us as coaches," the coach said. "But nonetheless this a game we’re going to want to quickly get behind us."
The absences meant a lot of new faces saw action, including rookie Ian Book, who made his NFL debut at quarterback. The Saints struggled to give him adequate protection all game, and Payton was quick to note that while there's much to learn from the game, it wouldn't be one that factored into the evaluation of the young passer going forward.
The coach didn't quite drop the no-excuses mantra, but he did note the difficulties that arose from the roster crunch. He referenced the unusual scenario with two players who saw action in Week 16 getting fitted for equipment on the day of the game, because they had just been signed.
This Saints squad doesn't have a lot of time to waste lamenting a result, with playoff hopes still very much alive and a pair of divisional matchups looming. The first will come against the Panthers on a short week.
“I think we understand our team. ... I think we have a good idea of what this team is capable of doing," Payton said.
Book made some nice throws, but struggled at points and tossed a pair of interceptions. He finished the game 12 of 20 for 135 yards. But the die was cast early with a pick-six on just his second NFL pass. The rookie also absorbed eight sacks, a season-high across all four Saints starting QBs this year.
“He’s competitive and tough, he’s going to be fine. He’ll be frustrated, like all of us, with some plays. But certainly it’s not gonna define his growth or his career or what he does," Payton said. "It’s kind of one of those perfect storms. We’re all anxious to see him, and yet it was just a tough spot for him to be in. I think he’s smart enough to understand that.”
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ON NO DELAY
The NFL was mum on any notion of pushing the game back despite a slew of positive COVID tests in the days leading up the game. The offense lost both quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian, and the defense was without key players including linebackers Demario Davis and Kwon Alexander, and safety Malcolm Jenkins.
In the end, it wasn't something Payton was involved in, he said. Those conversations would've involved one or more of GM Mickey Loomis, team president Dennis Lauscha or team owner Gayle Benson.
“I’m not involved in that. ... Our job is to really focus and prepare, get the players ready to go. That’s something that pretty soon your energy gets wasted, and obviously we didn’t do a good enough job tonight. It was frustrating and I’m sure it was frustrating to watch.”
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ON DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE
Despite being significantly undermanned, the defense turned in an inspired performance that helped keep the Saints in touch well into the second half despite an offense that surrendered a pick-six and generated just a field goal on the night.
Pete Werner started at mike linebacker and held up well, Marcus Davenport forced an early fumble and Marshon Lattimore picked off a ball to set up the Saints in good field position, trailing by a touchdown in the third quarter.
“I thought they competed. I thought they did a good job. … I thought they did well. They had some short fields. Certainly they played well enough for us to be in this game, which we were for a good majority of it. I thought we battled.”
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MORE ON IAN BOOK
“He’s competitive and tough, he’s going to be fine. He’ll be frustrated, like all of us, with some plays," Payton said. "But certainly it’s not gonna define his growth or his career or what he does. It’s kind of one of those perfect storms. We’re all anxious to see him, and yet it was just a tough spot for him to be in. I think he’s smart enough to understand that.”