As Sean Payton was on the sidelines watching his team complete a stunning Hail Mary before halftime, he had a band on his mind ... even if he couldn't quite remember which it was.
Payton said the touchdown heave from Jameis Winston that Marquez Callaway leapt and came down with had him remembering a conversation about one of the harshest crowds you'll ever see.
The band, Payton remembered, was Sugarland. They were scheduled to perform a song at halftime of a game. That performance is a lot colder when it comes after a last-second touchdown, he said, laughing. That's what happened in 2006 when Terrance Copper came down with a Hail Mary from Drew Brees just before halftime in a game against the Atlanta Falcons. He spoke with singer Jennifer Nettles years later.
"You want to talk about a tough crowd," she said, as Payton recalls. "You come out after someone completes a Hail Mary against your team, and then: 'Please welcome Sugarland.' If there was any halftime entertainment, that's a tough spot to be in."
The play came after the Saints took over near the 50-yard line with about 8 seconds left. In some instances you'd see a team try to pick up a few yards quickly to shorten the throw, but Payton said the Saints' plan was to throw it right away. Why? If it fell incomplete, there'd hopefully be enough time to run it again.
"A good play. A great throw. Part of a Hail Mary is giving ourselves a chance. We did it, our landmarks were good," Payton said. "Marquez found it. ... I think that was pretty significant, obviously. When you have something like that happen to you it changes the momentum."
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IT'S NOT BY ACCIDENT
Alvin Kamara wasn't involved in the scrum fighting for the TD ball, but he also wasn't surprised it landed where it did. The Saints practice those Hail Mary plays every week.
One week it'll be the offense jumping to work on coming down with a clutch score. The next week it'll switch, with the defense jumping to work on defending the play when run by the opponent.
"It's want to. You've got to want to do that," Kamara said. "I think he wanted it more than the defensive guys."
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HE'S DONE IT BEFORE
Marquez Callaway has already shown his jump-ball ability this season. He hauled in a desperation heave by Jameis Winston before the half in a win over the New England Patriots.
But it's also not the first time he's come down with a stunning Hail Mary grab just before halftime. Callaway also accomplished the feat in college with the Tennessee Volunteers, hauling in a similar jump ball in a game against Kentucky.
"By the time I looked back the ball was in the air. ... It was just clear," Callaway said. "First one down there to jump and everybody else play off you."
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"GLORY GOES TO GOD" ... AGAIN
Jameis Winston (and every NFL quarterback) has a tough job. It's made easier by the fact that he's been able to toss the ball up to Callaway for a pair of backbreaking touchdowns just before halftime.
For the second time this season Winston pointed toward the sky to help explain how his second-year receiver managed to come down with a jump ball score. Winston also hit Callaway for a more traditional touchdown in the second half, finishing with four TD passes for the game.
Callaway made an amazing play. But, I mean again, on plays like that all the glory belongs to God, period," Winston said. "But, man, it was awesome to get some momentum to head into the half."
Winston added that the goal on that play is to give his receivers a chance and isn't targeting a specific player. You throw it to a spot, get it high and try to deliver the ball about 4 yards deep into the end zone. All of those things happened, and Callaway did the rest.
"He wanted it," Winston said, "and he went and got it."