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Quotes from Saints players following the Week 4 game against the New York Giants

New Orleans Saints players recap their Week 4 game against the New York Giants

Running back Alvin Kamara

It was one of those games where you got to be patient and make plays. That's what I was echoing to the offense, to Mike (Thomas), to the receivers, to everybody. Be patient and the plays will come so we stayed resilient and big plays popped off at the end.

Q: What were you guys able to do to have those long scoring drives?
A: I mean it starts with the head. Drew (Brees) comes into the huddle and just says one play at a time. There's a sense of calmness in the huddle. We know that when we're executing at a high level, nobody can stop us so that's what we had in our heads. Just one play at a time and get down the field.

Q: Comment on the complimentary football you guys were able to play today.
A: I mean, we talked about it all week. We wanted to play a complete game, come out on defense and execute, come out on special teams and execute and come out on offense and execute. It all came together. Wil Lutz, when we were moving a little slow, Wil Lutz made some big kicks. That's as big as anything. He's a great kicker. He does what he has to do when his name is called. The defense came up big. Big sacks, big plays, big pass breakups and we did what we did on offense. The o-line did a great job, I can't say that enough. The o-line handled their business up front and we were able to get a victory.

Q: Do you feel like the running game has been building up to this week after week?
A: I think it's been building but we have a solid running game. When we're running the ball, we're the best in the country. So we got behind those big guys and we were able to get some big runs off. When Sean (Payton) gets those run plays going, it gives everybody energy.

Q: Did you feel like the first touchdown got you guys going?
A: We just stayed on pace. We couldn't get it in the first, but we knew that the big plays would come and the touchdowns would come, we just stayed the course.  

Q: How is it going to be when you get your boy Mark Ingram back next week?
A: Free Mark! I talked to him before the game. He'll probably be at the airport when we land, but it just feels good to know he served his four and he's going to be back. It's about to be ugly.

Q: What is it like to finish with power, but also be able to out run these guys?
A: Like I said, it starts with the o-line. Our o-line is tremendous. When we call a run play, they act like they're getting the ball. It makes it easy for me to be able to get behind them. When I score, it's like they scored a touchdown.

Q: I saw before one of your touchdowns you gave them a high five and then you ended up scoring.
A: Yeah, it's a brotherhood. When they're going, our offense is going. They bring energy to the team Literally I can't say it enough; those dudes do a great job. They go unnoticed a lot, but they do a great job.

Q: You had 31 touches last week and you were tired. Was that a factor today?
A: We won. That's all I have to say about that.

Q: When did you know you had a chance to house that last one?
A: It was a perfect look. O-line handled their business. Fullback Zach Line did what he had to do, got through and got a block. I could have scored that ball with my eyes closed. It was just
great by everybody up front blocking and being able to do their job and execute.

Q: How good did it feel to finish drives in the second half?
A: It feels great. Like I said earlier, with Drew at the helm, he brings calmness into the huddle and just tells us to stay the course and go one play at a time, one drive at a time. That's the identity of this team, resilience. We don't lose focus, we just keep going.

Q: Where does this game stack up as far as games in your career?
A: It was the next one. Now we're moving on. 24 hour rule I guess, but I'm already looking at next week. We got more football to play. We got another game, another opponent.

Q: How did you keep your balance on your second touchdown run?
A: When I see the end zone, I am trying to get in there. That's it. 

Wide Receiver Michael Thomas

Q: In the first half, it took a little time for you to get going, didn't it?
A: Yeah, I mean I don't know if it necessarily took me a little time. I was just doing my job, just doing what I had to do to help my team move the ball and we came out with a victory, so that's all that matters. It's not about if I get the ball in the first quarter, fourth quarter, whenever I get it I just have to make a play.

Q: We got a pretty good idea today of how well this team can win without Drew Brees having to throw a touchdown pass and Payton called it good, complementary football.
A: Yeah, definitely. You know, just when it's called, make the play. We had a couple of penalties early on in the first quarter, first half, that we need to get corrected, but you know when your number's called, make a play, no matter who it is.

Q: Did you guys talk at all before this game about this team's history, this team's history against the Giants on this field? It's been since '06 since you guys have won a game here.
A: We respect all of our opponents and we just gameplan and try to execute our gameplan, but at the end of the day it's the name of the place, it's the name of this team, we're just trying to go 1-0 every week.

Q: Would you believe you play in a game, you have three catches, Drew [Brees] doesn't throw a touchdown, and you win?
A: We won. It's good to know we can do that, it's good to know we can win like that. At the end of the day, we're trying to win as many games as possible here, play for a championship so you know, winning is the biggest accomplishment and the thing that we're here for. Whatever it takes to win, that's what we're doing.

Q: Talk about the feeling of winning three straight while still maybe feeling like you haven't put together that perfect game yet.
A: You know last year we went on a run, we know what it's like to stack those games up. We're a little bit ahead of schedule this year, but we still have a lot of room for improvement and we're excited for that. We have another opponent coming in for a big Monday night game, so we've got to lock in, enjoy this victory, but get ready for another opponent.

Q: It seemed like the Giants did a good job against the pass today, especially in the red zone. Was there anything they were doing in particular?
A: No, we won the game. We'll watch the film and get it corrected. We'll come out firing. We have a great offensive coordinator and head coach that's calling plays; we'll get it corrected.

Q: That fourth quarter drive where you guys converted four of those third downs, you had one of those… you had two on those wide receiver screens and then another. How big was it to get those third downs and seal the game away at that point?
A: That's important. Every week, week in and week out, Thursdays is our third down day. Coach shows us the numbers and he tells us how important it is usually when you look at the stats sheet and third down conversions you can usually tell who won the game by who has the higher percentage. We try to take a lot of pride in that because we were kind of, that was one of our weak links of the off-season and last year, so when my number is called on third down I try to convert every time just because of trying to push those numbers up and show just a sense of urgency and make that play.

Q: Is there anything specific the Giants were doing in the first half before you got your first catch with 1:40 to go in the half? Were they doing anything special?
A: They were doubling and bringing pressure, playing defense. We watched the film last week when they played Houston and they kind of did the same thing with DeAndre Hopkins and [Will] Fuller got open, you know that's complementary football. Other guys, we trust them to make plays and we're here to win games and that's what we did.

Defensive end Cameron Jordan

Q: Can you speak on the game that Demario just had back in a place where he used to call home?
A: We talk about the way he played, the way he was covering, the way he made the tackles over the immediate routes. I mean, he had a hell of a game today. That's what we need from him every game and we talked about just the defensive standard that we set. I love the way that everybody started playing in that second half.

Q: Did you guys talk about the struggle playing here playing against the Giants?
A: No. We talked about how the Giants want to be bigger and tougher than everybody and we had to be physical in this game and we did just that.

Q: Four games into the season- where do you think this team is right now?
A: Growing. Growing. To let up that touchdown at the end of the game; that's something we have to eradicate. I would love to look up and it have been 28-7. I would have loved to have not let them score that first touchdown so we're growing in every facet and we still have some ways to go.

Q: Talk about the job you did on stopping their run and Saquon.
A: I think we did a great job stopping the run. All the sudden Eli is a pocket-mover now, pocket-scrambler? I wouldn't call him a scrambler but I mean now he's navigating the pocket well instead of collapsing the pocket and all the sudden he's escaping. I guess that happens.

Q: You guys are around Demario every day. Do you have a sense of how important it was to come back to New York for him?
A: I mean it's another game. He knows he's a part of the New Orleans team so when we talk about what he has going on with the Jets, he didn't really let that vent out too much. He was going back home to the stadium. This was the most important game because it was the next game. We're going to move on after 24 hours.

Q: Did you guys feel the pressure was on you? You came into the game ranked 30 in defense.
A: What pressure would there be then? We've got nowhere to go but up. When we talk about trying to get better as a defense, we take every game as a challenge and something that we have to rise to the occasion. Again, we still let them score first and let them score late in the game and that's something we want to eliminate from our whole vision of where we're trying to go.

Linebacker Demario Davis

Q: What does it mean to you to come back and have the kind of game you did today in a place you used to call home?
A: Defensively, our goals in these games are stop the run, stop the pass, create takeaways, get off the field on third down, be good in the red zone. When we do that, we're successful.

Q: How motivated were you coming back here? It's not your old team but it's your old stadium.
A: It was a big game for us, offensively and defensively. Coach just said it was a bad game for us so we wanted to be physical. Our goals on defense were to stop the run, stop the pass and when we do that pretty good we know we're successful.

Q: What did you see in that Giants offense that you thought you could get a chance to get to Eli and get some pressure on him?
A: We knew that they were a good offense; good quarterback, good running back, good receivers. Our goals didn't change – stop the run and stop the pass, get the stop on third down, get the takeaways. We did that pretty good today.

Q: You haven't had a sack in the first three games, how glad were you to get on the board a couple times today?
A: That's one of our goals to get after the quarterback, get hits on the quarterback. Each and every week we get hits on the quarterback, get off the field on third down, create takeaways. I think we follow through on our goals.

Q: You got a sack celebration there. What are you going for?
A: That's Jesus on a cross. I'm a believer and everything is to the glory of God; the glory of Christ. I just wanted to be an imitation of him. I carry my cross every day just like Jesus.

Q: Did you guys talk at all before this game about how you haven't beaten the Giants here since '06?
A: No, I don't think we talked about that. Our goals really don't change. Our goals are pretty consistent no matter who the team is.

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore

Q: On Odell Beckham Jr.
A: Our goal was to take him out of the game. I'm pretty sure he was in the game -- he's Odell Beckham. We always try to take him out the game. We did a good job of that today and we got the win.

Q: Do you feel like you were key in taking Odell Beckham Jr. out? You were on him like every snap.
A: Of course. That's my (friend) though, I'm not going to talk bad about him or anything like that. It is what it is. We just had a good game and what I told him was 'keep balling, keep doing your thing.' But you all can judge on how I played against him.

Q: It seemed like you guys kept the ball in front of you a lot and (the Giants) didn't really try to even push it down the field. How much easier is it for you as a secondary when you don't have to worry about the deep ball as much?
A: We were playing aggressive, we just didn't let them do it. It's not like we were playing pretty good defense and not letting the ball over our heads. We were playing man, but we just switched it up in between calls. I feel like we did a pretty good job of just staying on top and doing our thing. They went deep, but it wasn't there.

Q: How big of an effort is it for your defense to bounce back after you gave up 37 points last week?
A: We knew what we had to do. We've been saying that we're not going to get down on ourselves. We're just going to keep working and keep coming out there trying to be the best we can be. We're just building on the weeks. This is step one and we'll keep building on this.

Q: What was the key to eliminating those explosives?
A: Just being us. There wasn't really anything special. Don't let the ball go over your head, play top shoulder and don't get beat on double moves. That's really it.

Q: You were saying this week you guys needed that game to get your swagger back. Do you feel like this did it?

A: Yes, we came out here and we were playing for each other today. That's what I love to see. We got our swagger back, that's step one. I can't say that we fully got it back because this is just one game. We've got to continue to do this week in and week out. We'll see where we're at.

Cornerback P.J. Williams

Q: How happy were you after what happened last week?
A: Real happy. You're always going get a nice play to get you going, get your mind back right and not think about those plays, but at the end of the day I wasn't really thinking about that stuff. I came in knowing what I could do and just looking to have a good game, a big game for the team.

Q: What was the difference for you guys just as a secondary? You seemed a lot more organized and did a really good job.
A: We just had to lock in and do what we're supposed to do. We went through a lot of stuff in practice this week, tuning a lot of things and we knew what we had to do to get the win and I feel like we executed well.

Q: I'm sure you guys think you're a lot better than you were those first three games. Do you feel like this was the game where it clicked in and this will be it going forward?
A: I definitely feel like this game could be that game so we just got to stay locked in because we know what we're capable of we just got to consistently do it week by week.

Q: How much did the coaches harp on the turnover stuff? You only had one through three games, you had two today.
A: That was definitely in our area. We know we got get turnovers and we got to get our offense back the ball and stuff like that so that was definitely a big thing this week.

Q: Was it limiting explosive plays too?
A: Definitely. That was also huge. We gave up a lot of explosive plays and he's teaching us we got to make them go the long, hard way. That's big for us and that definitely was taught this week.

Q: What was kind of the key to eliminating them? What did you guys do?
A: Just staying on top. Staying on top and not letting them get behind us because that's the only way teams stayed in the game with us within these three games.

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