SAINTS HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON

(Opening statement…) "Obviously a good win for us on the road against a real good football team. I thought we did a lot of things well. I thought we played in a different way but a complete football game. We had the special teams return early, it was a great start for us. We did enough things well defensively, offensively, it was a good win."

(How did Teddy Bridgewater play…) "I thought he played real well. In the early series, I hamstrung him a little bit with some calls getting them in personnel wise. I think he settled in and did a really good job."

(Did Bridgewater get going late in the second quarter…) "I think as the game progressed. That two minute drive (in the first half) was important. Alvin also played outstanding. We got good movement up front. We had a handful of drives that I thought were real critical. Even late in the game our drive was five minutes time off the clock. Playing on the road against a team like that, that really helped us."

(How great is it to get contributions from a lot of players…) "That's why it's a team game. I thought we had a good week of practice. There was something about the week in the locker room, even going through pregame. I thought we took the crowd completely out of it. Generally you have to deal with a lot louder place."

(How conscious were you that you have never won (a regular season/playoff) game without Drew Brees as your quarterback…) "That is a silly stat. There have been a couple of games where we have locked in seeding. We are playing a game without him, I get it, that sells papers. So look, I wasn't thinking about it. It happens at other positions. It's unique when it's the quarterback, I understand that. We approached things differently. At our quarterback meeting last night, Teddy changed it up. I texted Drew and I said we're changing everything up. He called right away. We are eating earlier than we ate before. I was proud of the way he (Bridgewater) played. He is someone if you really followed his career, he has kind of won where ever he has been. At a young age at Minnesota, he played this very same team back in the playoffs and they very well should have won if not for the field goal. He did that today."

(Did you sense your team was ready to go today…) "You prepare, you hope. If you ever knew that as a coach, there are times you feel like sometimes the desperate team wins. But when your playing Seattle on the road, they are a real good football team. So I thought the punt return early was a big play. I thought the turnover touchdown was another big play."

(What about getting a couple of fourth down stops on defense…) "Statistically if you looked and said you're going to return a punt for a touchdown and score defensively, you're going to be probably a ninety something percent winner when you do that. Those were big plays."

(How helpful was it to get a defensive and a special team touchdown…) "When you have a lead it's different than when your behind. That was a good team win."

How big were those two monster punts in the first half…) "We felt like it was going to be a field position game through out. I thought we were able to take advantage. When you're playing on their end of the field, the mistakes get exaggerated and magnified. And sure enough, the punch out fumble was in their end of the field, it's a scoop and score for us. We had the one muffed punt but I thought our ball security was good. Overall it was a good team win."

(Thoughts on Alvin Kamara play today…) "We have seen it for three years now. He has got really good balance and he is strong. He is a really, really sturdy runner."

(What was the defensive plan on Wilson today…) "It's a challenge. He did it last week against Pittsburgh. We spied him a few times. When his eyes get down on the pass rush, he is elusive enough to come out of some tackles. The last time I think we played him in New Orleans he was dealing with an ankle, so you were getting more of a pocket passer. But now he is tough to bring down, tough to contain."

(Were you curious as to how your team was going to respond today…) "I don't know if curious was the word. I think our job as coaches is, well I know what our jobs is, each week give your team the best chance to win. That's a responsibility and this week, we tried to do that."

(You said you felt something different in the locker room today…) "I think the idea that Teddy is going to be just fine. The rest of us have to worry about our job. If we can surround him with a lot of good performances like we did today, we are going to have success."

(Do you feel that finding Deonte Harris from a small school is like a diamond in the rough…) "On the return I did. On the fumble I didn't. It was a diamond and a piece of coal. But he has done well. He is confidant."

(Did you get a chance to talk to Drew today…) "No we talked yesterday but that was it."

(What galvanized your team from last week to this week…) "I liked our schedule a lot. I like coming here. We have travelled well when we have done that. Two trips to London, the hurricane, I'm not sure what year, in 07' or 08', we have played well. Your team is removed from a lot of the distractions. The Bellevue set up was great.

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