Payton says Saints starters will go “full steam ahead”

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 28, 2011, 8:14 PM EDT
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Saints coach Sean Payton knows exactly how tricky this week’s game against the Panthers could be. He was in almost the exact same scenario last year in Week 17 and it turned into a disaster.

New Orleans entered the final week of the 2010 season with a chance to win the NFC South and a bye. The Saints had a tough matchup against an up-and-coming division opponent — the Bucs.

The Saints needed to win that game, and hope that the Falcons lost to one of the worst teams in the NFL — the 2010 Panthers.

So what happened?

The Saints played to win until the fourth quarter, and still lost the game. New Orleans also lost three starters to injury during the contest, including safety Malcom Jenkins. The Falcons won going away. The next week the Saints lost in Seattle, in large part because of Jenkins’ absence.

The scenario this year is almost identical. This time, the Saints are fighting for a bye with the 49ers. San Francisco faces one of the worst teams in football (St. Louis) and the Saints face an up-and-coming division foe — Carolina.

Saints coach Sean Payton indicated Wednesday he’s approaching this game the same way as last year. All starters will play.

“We’re going into it full speed ahead,” Payton said via Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

It’s the only choice. Last year’s results were unfortunate, but that doesn’t mean Payton was wrong.

The Saints simply can’t risk not playing to win if they have any chance at earning a bye.  Imagine if Drew Brees was on the bench while the Rams upset San Francisco. The Saints would essentially be passing on a week off and a home game in the Divisional Round.

In theory, Payton could keep an eye on the 49ers-Rams game. If San Francisco got way ahead, the Saints could pull their starters. Payton says he won’t pay attention to the 49ers game, which is a little hard to believe.

Either way, don’t expect to see a lot of Saints backup quarterback Chase Daniel on Sunday.

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41 responses to “Payton says Saints starters will go “full steam ahead””

  2. The starters are full steam ahead, that is until they realize that the 49ers have steamrolled over the Rams, in which case you’ll see a mass exodus of starters heading to the bench. A shot at the #1 pick in the draft (and the trade value that comes with that) is not so easy to just thow away for the Rams.

  4. I’m praying to tebow that 2010 repeats itself. The saints deserve that for putting records in front of suberbowls.

  5. So Brees can pad that phony record* – playing 11 games indoors with the newly emphasized rules.

  7. No way Payton and Brees are going to risk losing that passing yardage record to Brady. Even if they have to throw 58 times with a 30 point lead. Even if they have to risk injuries. They’re gonna get that damn record.

  8. Of course they will. Payton likes to keep it rolling even when he’s up 40. I think it’s an ego thing.

    If they were smart, they’d take it easy, seeing as the Niners probably aren’t going to lose to the Rams… but they probably won’t.

  9. Good to see them playing the starters, particularly Brees. He needs to maintain his rhythm, particularly in the passing game. I see him putting up 500 yards (and breaking widdle Tammy Brady’s heart in the process by retaining the season passing rating). Tammy can claim that it doesn’t matter all she wants to but the fact remains that records DO matter to that little crybaby. If they didn’t he wouldn’t have thrown half of those 50 TD passes from 10 yards or less back in 2007 to break Peyton Manning’s record, when a run would have accomplished the same result on the scoreboard in every instance.

  12. I don’t see a scenario in which Drew Brees’ ego allows him to sit on the bench while Tom Brady breaks the single-season passing record Brees has held for six days.

  15. Remember the guy who said the Vikings should sit AP because they have nothing to play for? Well this team has nothing to play for and the PLAYOFFS to think about.

  16. Panthers will go full steam ahead – should be a good game, Newton will be running , passing and remember, the Rams upset the Saints – Payton may end up pulling his starters anyway if the Panthers blow up Brees a few time.

  20. Brees has to play for at least a little while since Brady will break his passing yardage record earlier in the day. If Brady puts up 400 against the bills (not out of the realm of possibility given Buffalo’s “defense”, and I could see Belichick going crazy-ass-pass-happy to give him a shot at the record) Brees will need to stay in until he gets over 210, etc.

  23. How does PFT miss career criminal Mike Ornstein on the sidelines of monday night’s game? How do you miss this story. It clearly pissed off the NFL and made everyone wonder why the saints scored that last TD to make the over.

    With people like “orny” around, points are likely get shaven.

  25. Some of you are ridiculous. As the article states, they played starters in the exact same situation last year. And that was with no records on the line. They have to at least try to win until they see the 49ers have pulled away. I’m sure they want to keep the record, but saying they have “nothing” to play for is false.

    As for the * – that’s stupid. As I posted on another story, Brees’ yardage average in outdoor games this year was 370. Why do NE/GB fans assume Brady or Rodgers would put up so much higher numbers in domes if they played in them more? I seem to recall Brady coming to New Orleans not too long ago and throwing for under 250. Rodgers averaged 346 in his three dome games this year, and if I recall correctly those were close games in which he was not pulled early. That average is lower than Brees’ outdoor average.

  26. The Rams beat the Saint’s this year. Them beating the 49ers is not out of the question and hell yeah we want the record. If it was your team you’d want the record too. I want him to throw for 500 yards on Sunday and put this thing where it won’t get broken for awhile. I went down to Jacksonville with my boy and watched him play live this year and fully expect to tell my grandkids about it.

  27. Why is every mad that Bree’s has the passing record and Brady doesn’t. If the shoe was on the other foot, don’t you think Brady would play to keep the record from Brees. Yes he would is the correct answer.

  29. So the Saints, with a possibility of obtaining a higher playoff seeding, are going to play starters and try to win a game? I guess that’s pretty radical thinking in the NFL nowadays. Yes it didn’t turn out well for them last year but those are the chances each player takes when they step on the field-no matter if its week one or week seventeen. Should the Packers have sat their starters once they earned a playoff berth a few weeks ago and play backups the rest of the season? Should the 49ers or Patriots or Steelers or Ravens have done the same? NFL players and coaches are far too competitive to allow a possible betterment for their team to slip by without doing everything they can to take advantage of it. Sure it’s probable that San Fransisco will win fairly easily but nothing is certain until the game is played.

  31. What a shock. Payton is going full speed ahead. Who would have guessed that? Because he decided based on what was best for the team. He probably didn’t even think about the record once.

    Who does this ass clown think he’s kidding?

  33. Some of u freaking idiots just don’t get do ya. If ATL( already had no chance)would’ve punted instead of going for it in their own area of the field then it would’ve just been about the yardage. Instead ATL wanted to play “keep away” and it backfired on their stupid ass. He needed 30+ yards and that’s what ATL left us. The D is being paid to stop the O and didn’t do it all night. What would happen going into this weeks game that he suffers an injury and miss out on a chance to make history?????? Comprehend the situation like a real person should or continue being an immature hater. We are talking about grown men and not pop warner.

  35. steviaquinn says:
    Dec 28, 2011 10:53 PM
    With people like “orny” around, points are likely get shaven.

    ====

    If the Falcons had just punted there, the Saints would have gotten the ball further down the field, thrown until Drew got the record, then run the clock out. Instead, the Falcons go for it on 4th down and don’t get it, so the Saints are on the 33-yard-line. Drew needed 31 yards. You do the math.

  36. News flash – Sean Payton and Drew Bree’s really don’t care what a bunch of fans from loser teams think about them….when you can be 13-3, have a shot at the #2 seed and break records, that is known as a trifecta, loosahs….

  37. So let me get this straight, when the packers clinched last week, was it necessary for him to “pad his stats” and throw 5 TD’s…wow some of you so called fans sure to amaze me. If it was your QB then you’d be all over his junk. Grow up.

  38. I have to wonder how many of the “They just don’t want Brady to get the record” or “they just want to run it up” crowd are Patriot fans, because that’s some staggering hypocrisy. Unless you’ve already forgotten 2007.

  39. Sean, will you please come home to Dallas and coach the Cowboys? I’m tired of them sucking and you make Garrett look like a damn fool. Thanks.

    Signed,
    Every Cowboys fan

  40. It’s not that they want to get the record that is wrong. It’s acting like that isn’t a factor at all in the decision that is wrong.

  41. rajuncajun28 says:
    Dec 29, 2011 9:23 AM

    ………..News flash – Sean Payton and Drew Bree’s really don’t care what a bunch of fans from loser teams think about them….when you can be 13-3, have a shot at the #2 seed and break records, that is known as a trifecta, loosahs………

    Would think the trifecta would be winning 3 playoff games, thus being Superbowl champs. Must have a lower set of standards down south.

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