Postgame Quotes: New Orleans Saints 29, New York Jets 6 | 2025 NFL Week 16

Quotes from Coach Kellen Moore, QB Tyler Shough, DE Cameron Jordan, QB Taysom Hill, WR Chris Olave, DT Nathan Shepherd, S Jonas Sanker, K Charlie Smyth, and TE Juwan Johnson

Dec 21, 2025 at 07:47 PM

Saints Coach Kellen Moore

Opening comments
"Good win for our team. Again, we've talked a lot about making December football meaningful, and I feel like our guys have really been jumping on that opportunity. To win a few down the stretch here and have a couple more opportunities—the energy, the juice, the way our guys are playing together—is really, really special. It's a special group in that locker room."

On the defensive performance
"Just phenomenal. The shoutouts took a while in the locker room. There were a bunch of guys making plays today. I thought it was just credit to our guys—the relentless effort, the finish, the way they're playing together. Those sacks, there's coverage associated with that and the way our guys are covering on the back end. The guys just took advantage of opportunities, and it was really cool to see."

On how many players received game balls
"I don't know. I'll have to tally them up later. It was a healthy list."

On the importance of winning the final home game of the year
"It was a big part of our whole entire week, starting on Wednesday—last opportunity in the Dome for this year. Let's finish it off the right way. It's been an awesome place, and we're building something really special. When we play in this dome, special things can happen. We've allowed the last couple of wins to really get the crowd into it, which has helped build from there."

On all three phases playing complementary football
"I think it's just the focus, the habits guys are creating. We are simply playing better football. In all three phases, we talk about complementary football—working together, playing off of each other, feeding off of each other in big moments. Again, I love the energy that's in the locker room."

On the offensive response with limited run-game personnel
"I thought it was great. Taysom (Hill) stepped up and contributed in a really positive way. That was just a really special game by Taysom. All the things that he did and that he was asked to do were incredible, for him to become the first guy in the NFL in the Super Bowl era with 1,000 rushing yards, 1,000 receiving yards and 1,000 passing yards. He's just a special guy. Then, the young guys hopped in there. When opportunities presented themselves, we were still able to get a few runs in there. It was not always pretty; it was dirty. In the pass game, we were able to create some explosives as a result of that."

On whether they were trying to give Taysom Hill a touchdown late
"The opportunities were certainly going his way toward the end of the game, yes."

On building confidence
"I think the confidence is growing. We're creating habits and creating meaningful December football. Winning is contagious, and you want to create those winning habits. It starts with every opportunity you have, and it's really cool to see our guys doing this."

On matching last year's win total
"I have not thought about that. Our guys are playing better football down the stretch, and we just have to keep building on that. We still have a couple more opportunities."

On DE Cam Jordan's performance
"Just awesome—relentless, two sacks, around the ball a ton, making plays. It was a really special day."

On going for the fake punt instead of challenging the previous play
"We talked about it. We felt like the fake punt felt pretty clean. We felt confident about that, and we talked it through."

On how close the team was to a complete game
"It was good. We have to finish some drives and score more touchdowns in those situations. Special teams-wise, Charlie [Smyth] did an excellent job kicking the football. We made some big plays there against a really talented unit. Our defense was relentless. I loved the way all three phases worked together and competed for four quarters."

On DE Cam Jordan and QB Taysom Hill
"Those guys are the best. They've done this for a really long time in this league. They lead by example, and the young guys get to look up to them. You can see it on the field—they're playing really good football right now."

On QB Tyler Shough's performance
"He did a really good job. Playing quarterback in this league brings ups and downs, and for him to stay steady through the process, I thought he did an excellent job."

On the passing game plan
"It was just the way the game was flowing. You'd love to run the football more, but from a pass-game perspective, it was cleaner and more efficient. That's credit to those guys and Tyler executing at a high level."

On injury updates
"We'll see. Bryan Bresee had a knee issue. We'll evaluate Foster Moreau tomorrow with the ankle and hip-drop situation."

On K Charlie Smyth signaling for one more kick
"Charlie's awesome. He's playing really good football, and the team is rallying behind him. He's got a bright future."

On Taysom Hill's touchdown pass to Chris Olave
"The threat of Taysom running it was there. We had the option to run or throw based on the look, and it turned into a touchdown."

On how unique Taysom Hill is
"This league talks about trying to find 'Taysom Hills,' but no one can duplicate it. His ability to play every phase of the offense and contribute on special teams is really special. He's an A-plus person, an A-plus human being and an A-plus player. Our young guys can learn a lot from him."

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Saints Quarterback Tyler Shough

On if the plan was to throw the ball this many times
"I think it was kind of the way it played out. We felt good about throwing the ball and had a really good plan in all phases. Obviously, you'd like to maybe not throw it that much, but whatever it takes to win. I've said it before—it was a great offensive unit effort. We left a lot out there, quite frankly, so we've got to patch it up and keep going."

On whether the touchdown pass to Chris Olave increased momentum
"No. It was frustrating because we didn't start how we knew we could. We were moving the ball, just a yard short on some third downs, and that was tough. But it was a great play call by Kellen (Moore), a great route by CO (Olave), and the guys helped him get open versus that man coverage look. Whenever you can get him one-on-one, you've got to own the ball."

On whether there was a plan to get Olave involved early
"Yeah, for sure. We've got to do everything we can to get him the ball—that's my goal. We had great communication all week. He's one of our best players and needs the ball. Credit to him for the way he prepared and showed up. Things happen during the flow of the game, but he's always the same dude."

On three straight wins and carrying momentum into next year
"Anytime you can put something on tape that you're proud of—showing teammates, showing everyone—you're playing for what's valuable. Some guys might be on different teams, but we're proud of what we're building. We're having fun, and that's the biggest thing. We want to be here together. How we finish defines this team, and I think that's showing up in the play—defense, special teams, everybody. We've done a better job playing complementary football."

On reaching 300 passing yards as a rookie
"I don't really care. We should have had more and left a lot of points on the board. We've got to fix those things and keep moving forward."

On Coach Moore 'selling out' to get Taysom Hill a touchdown
"Yeah, I knew when the play call was coming in. We were close, and we talked about it on the sideline. I was hoping that touchdown would be the signaling moment for him. I'm super proud of him. That's a credit to his preparation. He takes a physical beating every week playing different positions and personnel groups. He's such an asset to us and very deserving of everything he gets. That's a huge milestone."

On building off last week's score and the advantage it created
"Yeah, it was a great two-play package. You're playing with tempo, getting up on the ball, running it in space, and then passing off of it as well. It was a great play call and a great design."

On blossoming into a leadership role
"It started as soon as I got here. I was intentional about getting to know everybody and being the same dude every day. When you're a backup, you're not pulling guys aside the same way, but you still keep the same routine—sending scripts, communicating, staying consistent. When I became a starter, that didn't change. You expand on it and earn respect. For me, how I behave every day, how I treat teammates, and what we put on film—that's what matters."

On what goes into leading as a quarterback
"You've got to have one-on-one relationships with guys. You can't ask them to do something you wouldn't do yourself. We have a great bond. We spend time together outside the facility. The season hasn't gone exactly how we wanted, but we've stayed resilient. For me, that's why you play football—to earn respect every single day, no matter the circumstances."

On whether winning Rookie of the Year would matter
"Yeah, that's a great achievement, but for us, that comes from finishing the season the right way—winning next week and the week after. That's all I'm focused on right now."

On seeing Chris Olave bounce back after injuries
"It's tough because you understand where he's coming from mentally and physically. For him to keep stepping up every week says a lot. He's the same dude and continues to grow. We're around the same age, and he's got so much left. I'm really proud of him. It's not easy, but it's a credit to him, the coaching staff, and everyone believing in him."

On 50 Cent being at the game and a possible IG song
"I wasn't expecting to see him pregame. I was like, 'Holy crap, that was 50.' That was pretty cool—one of the cooler moments for me as a player. I got to talk to him a little bit and hopefully get him back a few more times."

On Juwan Johnson saying the locker room music is weird
"I've got a wide genre. I keep it fresh—reggae, rap, country, EDM. I like to keep the juices flowing. I've been everywhere college-wise, so I've got a wide array. He's vibing to it, too—we just keep the same rotation."

Saints Defensive End Cameron Jordan

Opening comments about family and friends
"We've got a lot of family here. My sister flew in from Germany. My brother came down from Arizona. Dad—I'm not sure where he flies in and out of. I never have a clue where he is. I've got like eight boys from Cal that came through for the game."

On the game today
"We went into this game knowing this was one we could take advantage of on defense. I love that we had eight sacks—from Jonah Williams to Nathan Shepherd to Chris Rumph to Chase Young to Alontae Taylor, Isaiah Stalbird and myself. I think the defense just took advantage where we could. I almost thought Alontae was going to take it to the crib at the very end of the game. He jumped the route perfectly on the interception. It was a great defensive outing. Jonas Sanker also had an interception."

On the reason family and friends attended
"Absolutely, just like they did last year. When you start getting toward elder-statesmanship, you never know if you're going to come back or not. I've never not had guaranteed money and I've never not had a contract. Now, we're leaning on not having a contract, so you can't have guaranteed money when a contract isn't in place—it's a simple conundrum. As you get older, you start looking around and seeing where you're at. I'm totally blessed to be part of a defense with such an influx of young guys playing at a high level—like Jonas Sanker and Danny Stutsman. You've got guys like Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks, and such a strong veteran core with Demario Davis and myself. Then you look at the young leadership coming along, like Alontae Taylor, everyone on offense, and Tyler Shough and how he's played these last couple of games. It's exciting because you see the future, and I want to be part of it. Right now, I'm in that limbo of 'Are you sending me a new contract or not?' I just take every game for what it is. I'm blessed and honored to impact the game any way I can."

On if he treated this game differently than in the past
"I think I did last year. This year, everybody texted me. Last year, I was texting everybody. Now everyone just wants to partake. My manager, Rebecca Otto, has been with me since the beginning. My agent, Doug Hendrickson, showed up and I said, 'Oh, dang!' I've got best friends from college who showed up, and a cousin from Arizona came through. I was like, 'Alright, we're going to make this thing a party.' We're going to hit the streets tonight. It is what it is."

On the Cam Jordan head shots in the crowd
"That was my wife, for sure. I came out with the family, and Nikki Jordan had all the big heads. We came together to the stadium—how did I miss this? We drove in the same car. Great job. I loved that it was against the Jets. I didn't know I hadn't sacked them before. I guess they hadn't been on my AFC list. I don't really care. There's one team I hate, and then there are the two teams in our division. The league is the league."

On how it feels to be aging backwards
"Is it aging backwards, or is it just taking advantage of opportunities presented? If you go back to 2023, I tore a couple of ligaments in my leg. I was straight run mode and capped my season around Week 11. I finished with two sacks. The next year, I sort of got buried once I saw light back on the edge—apparently, I'm not a nose tackle. This year, I'm back on the edge, stopping the run and having some fun. That's been the name of the game: take advantage of every opportunity. It's nice to have multi-sack games."

On coming back to play for New Orleans instead of signing elsewhere
"I've never seen myself not being in black and gold. Since Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis called me on draft night, I said, 'Alright, let's do this.' When I said that, I meant 'Let's do this together.' Fifteen years later, I still say it. I see a bright future with this group. We have a talented young core, a talented veteran group—we have a talented team. I'm mad it took us this long to find success, because once you find it, you understand how to win."

Saints Quarterback Taysom Hill

On his thoughts on the locker room this year
"Yeah, I think it's been a great locker room. Juwan talked about how the season started the way it did. I think it shows a lot about the characters and character of our team. The reality is there's been no quit in anybody in that locker room, and everyone's still competing and playing for one another. It's a fun environment to be in. We know the postseason stuff is off the table, but everyone's still cherishing every opportunity, and that's pretty unique and special."

On family and friends showing up to the game
"Yeah, my entire family's here for the game, so it was fun to have them here and feel a lot of love and support from people around me, that's for sure."

On taking a second to reflect on potential change in the future
"Yeah, ask me the tough questions. My wife asked me that this morning, and I didn't really feel any type of way then. But as I was driving to the stadium today, you start to think about the last nine years, what it's meant to me, my family, and the city. I just try to take it all in. They had a great experience here tonight, and I don't know what the future holds for me, but it was a special day."

On having thoughts about his future
"I'm focused on the next two weeks and kind of tackle the rest of that as we get down the road."

On his touchdown play
"I was a little bit surprised when it came in. You have to ask (Chris) Olave—I think they were going to hold him out of the game. And he found out what the call was and said, 'No, I'm in.' Kellen made a concerted effort to give me more opportunities given the circumstances, and it's a great way to seal the game. We had the look we wanted, and it worked out perfectly."

Saints Wide Receiver Chris Olave

On wanting to be a part of Taysom Hill's play
"Definitely wanted to be a part of that, especially knowing they wanted to get Taysom a touchdown, so I wanted to be a part of that—a deep ball too—so I definitely wanted to be in there."

On a career-high in receiving yards this game
"It feels good, man. I feel like we left a lot of plays out there too, especially that first touchdown, kind of holding on to that, a couple of those deep balls. I feel like I could have done a lot more, but I'm glad we executed and were able to come out with a win. Tyler did a great job today, the offensive line did a great job, and we executed when we needed to the most."

On going through his injury last year to a career year
"Just got to thank God, man. It was a tough time last year. I was only 24 years old, contemplating retirement, especially with head injuries, but I prayed about it. My close family was around me—they stuck by my side. I just gave it another try, another chance. And it's been a great year through all the ups and downs, just keeping focused. Kellen still believes in me, and all I can do is thank God in this situation. After the same concussion, being out there in Carolina and the next few days… I mean, that was my last game, I think in October or November. It was a long time, especially not coming back last year. Having that as my last game was tough, real tough. The long offseason, a lot of things, especially early in the year. It's easy to be in practice and run routes without getting hit, but the first few games were tough going out there, trying to get back into playing. After a few games, I got more and more comfortable."

On his continuing contract conversations
"Yeah, they continue. There's been clear communication. But I'm not really focused on that right now. I just want to finish the year strong. There have been a couple conversations here and there, but like I said, I just want to prove that I'm one of the top receivers in the league, year in, year out, when I have a full year. So I just have to finish these last two games strong, and those conversations will come."

On if he wants an extension
"Oh, yeah, of course. This is where I want to be, man. They took a chance on me, they traded up in the draft to get me. They've been nothing but good to me. They were here for me last year when I was going through that tough time. They told me to take my time and stood by my side. And even this year, when Kellen came in, he still believed in me through the ups and downs. He kept coming to me, and I'm super grateful for that. I can't thank the organization enough."

Saints Defensive Tackle Nathan Shepherd

On what this year has meant to him so far
"It's been filled with a lot of challenges. I always go into a year knowing there's going to be adversity—you just don't know where it will come from or what form it will take. It's about whatever obstacle is in our way and how we're going to overcome it, because that's where progress happens. I feel like we've leaned on each other through hard times and asked, 'Why are we facing this?' It's to get better. That's what we committed to early in the year—here's an obstacle, how are we going to overcome it together? That's been our focus, and we've tried to block out the distractions."

On how multiple sacks contribute to momentum
"I get what you're saying—it can turn into a feeding frenzy, and that's great when it happens, but there's a whole recipe behind it. Everyone has to contribute. It's not just the defense. Special teams played very well and gave us great field position. The offense did a great job sustaining drives, scoring points and keeping their offense off the field. We won the turnover battle, and that all goes into it. Defensively, I think we held Breece Hall to around 70 yards—he's a premier back in this league. When you take away the run, score points, and have good field position, it becomes a pressure cooker. Offenses have to throw the ball, and when we're in that position, everyone can feed off each other and make big plays."

On the difference between the Jets and Saints locker rooms
"I started my career with the Jets and had a great opportunity there. Todd Bowles, Mike Maccagnan—I'm still close with Todd now that he's in Tampa Bay. There was a lot of turnover during my time there, but everything I experienced with the Jets is part of who I am today. In this locker room, our mentality is about continuing to move forward. Whatever the adversity is, we lean on each other. As long as we don't give up, we don't lose. The scoreboard doesn't always explain the effort you put in, so it's about how we attack whatever problems we're facing."

On having Cam Jordan as a teammate
"With Cam, it's just a matter of time. You give him reps and he's going to produce. I'm happy for him but not surprised—this is what Cam does and what he'll continue to do as long as he chooses to play. I wasn't here for his whole career, but it's special to be part of what he accomplished today and to look at his body of work. He's an inspiration no matter where you are in your career. If you keep at it, a lot can happen at the end."

On how Brandon Staley's approach stands out
"It's how he prepares you and gets you ready. You can tell he's looking at the big picture while still taking it one day at a time. He believes in this defense and wants to drive it in a winning, dominant direction. He holds us to high expectations every day—same guy, same standards. There's no easy way out. If you make mistakes, he's going to coach you hard because he expects a lot from everyone, and that's how we're able to put together good performances."

On whether he swapped jerseys with Bink Saunders
"Bink and I were going to link up. I need to talk to him—we were supposed to connect right after, but I had to text him and say I had a few things to do. He's my guy. It was great seeing him, along with Jermaine Johnson, Michael Clemons, Breece Hall and a lot of other guys. It was good catching up with everyone."

Saints Safety Jonas Sanker

On making plays and the defense playing well together
"It's awesome to hear guys like Cam (Jordan) talk. It's great to have somebody like that constantly building guys up. He's been exactly who we expect him to be every day. It's awesome to see guys like him and Demario (Davis) provide that level of consistency for the team, even in Year 15."

On the interception and other opportunities
"We were definitely looking for that and emphasizing playing off the quarterback's eyes. It's funny because, literally before that possession, our coach was talking about, 'When they go three-by-one, be ready to cut that special.' Sure enough, that was the play we got. The coaches have done a really good job helping me prepare and pushing me to take this season with a grain of salt—constantly getting better every week, not getting too caught up in the ups and downs, and finding ways to keep improving."

On being part of the team's turnaround
"I'm a big believer in what we have, and I think we're doing things the right way. I really trust the organization and what we're trying to build. I'm focused on what I can control and continuing to improve, knowing there are a lot of other guys with that same mentality. I'm really excited about what we can do in the future."

Saints Kicker Charlie Smyth

On if he was disappointed with the Olave-Taysom TD, which prevented him from trying to get a franchise-record sixth field goal
"I didn't know the circumstances of what was at stake for Taysom, so whenever I heard that, I was super pumped up for him. In that moment, I saw it was five and tied for the club record, but after hearing what was at stake for Taysom, it was awesome. You want to give credit to the offense and defense today—I think we're really starting to play some good, complementary football. Defense got a lot of turnovers, the offense was awesome again, and got us in position. Then we had opportunities to execute. The O-line did a great job, and I got to knock a couple through, so it was nice."

On if he heard the crowd during the 61-yard FG attempt
"Yeah, it's a moment I'd like back. It's a little bit of a learning moment—I know I can hit those without changing my form, but because it was my first 60-plus attempt in the game and at the end of the half, I was a little amped up. I wish I could have that one back. It was a great learning moment going forward. I don't need to change my form to hit 61, but I sort of short-stabbed it and pulled it a little, so we'll learn from it."

On the support/response back in Ireland
"The support from everybody back home in Ireland has been unreal. I'm super grateful for it. A lot of people are pushing American football in Ireland, and it's nice to play a small part in its rise and the fan culture at home. I'm constantly getting texts—the phone has been blowing up the past couple weeks. It's been unreal. The organization took a chance on me a couple of weeks ago and said, 'Look, despite all the lack of experience, we're still going to give him a shot and see what he's doing in the building.' I'm super grateful, and I think we're all reaping the rewards right now."

On this being his fourth career game and already being in the record books, and what that means for sports in Ireland
"It's been a great year for Irish sports. Rory McIlroy won the Masters, Shane Lowry hit the putt in the Ryder Cup, athletics at home is thriving, a couple of girls are doing really well, and the Irish soccer team had a big win against Hungary recently. Katie Taylor in boxing—Irish sporting culture around the world is picking up. It's pretty good to be part of that, so we've just got to keep it going now."

Saints Tight End Juwan Johnson

On having a win like this to help close out the season
"It means a lot. When you start off the season the way we did, and then regroup the way we did, it kind of put some stuff together. Ironically, it kind of happened when Tyler (Shough) became quarterback—things started to happen, pieces started to move, and we just started to come together. The gel started coming in, sort of like how it was in the offseason—playful, letting loose, playing free. When we started doing that, the offense came alive, Kellen (Moore) got a little more comfortable. I just feel like everybody should get a little more comfortable, let their hair down a bit. I think that was the biggest part of this whole December win streak: getting back to what we're good at, doing things well, being selfless."

On personality being a big conversation/Kellen yelling at the referee
"He 100% yelled at a referee. The biggest thing is brushing off some stuff. You can get a pass on that sometimes, let it slide. But when it happens over and over, it's good to see Kellen get out of what people think he is and kind of get after it. Aside from that, he's done a phenomenal job all year—keeping his composure, keeping the locker room the way it is. This is the best locker room I've ever had. Especially with the season we've had, nobody wavered, nobody wanted to give up, nobody looked forward to the offseason. He has good guys, the right guys to do the job, and that's the biggest part."

On why this is the best locker room he has been a part of
"You can always have a good locker room when you're winning, but when you're losing, it shows people's character. When losing, people point fingers, think they should get the ball more, want things a certain way. And you don't really see that here. Kellen brought in the right guys with the right mindset. It started with offseason activities—we got to know the guys we're going to war with. Things like paintball, bowling—it all matters more than people think. When you get to December, it really pays off. You really know who you're going to war with."

On the vibe last year versus this year
"It's also about the way you win. When you win with certain people—especially players—it means a lot more because we know how much work we put in to be here. I don't think people expected a lot of us this year, but the narrative is starting to change—the way we're compiling wins and the style of play. Last year, we got the first two wins early, then one here and there. But right now, the way we're winning, the style, the play—that's the biggest difference."

Photos: Game Action | Saints vs. Jets | 2025 NFL Week 16