New Orleans Saints coaches and players comment on their upcoming game against the New England Patriots.
On the Patriots offense...
"They run the ball very effectively. They're going to do a good job of mixing play action, hard sell of play action, second level throws that can challenge your interior hook defenders, guys that have a conflict on a play run or pass. They can get the ball down the field. They'll give you some personnel groupings that are conventional, yet when they break the huddle they aren't necessarily in conventional formations. So it forces you to sort through who your assignments are in man, probably a little bit more stressful than those man situations or how you're going to deploy in zone. I think when you look at team and watch them not just in a two-game study, last year, the years prior, you have to battle all three elements."
- Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
On Mac Jones...
"Yeah, they have a new quarterback, so there's going to be, at times, being gun shy and stuff like that. For us as a defense, we try to focus on what we do and make sure that we're keying in on our cues."
- Saints Cornerback Paulson Adebo
"He was someone that we were really high on. I think he processes information fast. At Alabama if you watch closely his tape, the ball comes out, decisions are made fast. I think he sees the field horizontally as well as vertically well. He has the arm to make the throws that you want. His decision-making and processing are where I felt were really strong suites with him and I think he's handling it well. It's not easy to all of a sudden come in and start week one as a rookie, but he's a smart player."
- Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
On Patriots special teams...
"They're one of the best special teams units in the league. They're extremely athletic. We've got to be able to handle the speed when we're trying to return a punt or trying to field a punt."
- Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
On the Patriots forcing turnovers...
"In Foxborough, the turnover numbers are going to be important. Under Bill, since 2001 at home, they're 108-7 when they win the turnover battle at home. There's your stat of the week."
- Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
"We know that this team, pretty much like our team's been very successful when they've won the turnover battle, so we have to make sure we're on top of that, focusing on ball security and making great decisions."
- Saints Quarterback Jameis Winston
"I think turnover differential is important no matter who you play. There are numbers people and their job is to look at numbers and if the numbers show New England wins a lot of games when they win the turnover differential, it definitely becomes a point of emphasis, but taking care of the ball is something we should emphasize week in and week out anyways."
- Saints Wide Receiver Ty Montgomery
On the Patriots defense...
"The first thing I see is their versatility. They can play a handful of their defenses with several personnel groups. They are extremely smart, extremely well coached. The technique, they do a great job of mixing up man and zone. Clearly they are on the same page relative to what they're playing front and coveragewise. It's a group I think moves well. I think they're pretty stingy in the red zone. When you watch the tape, it's a defense that communicates well. They present a lot of challenges. That's what you kind of grow to expect in one of Bill's (Belichick) and you're seeing how they play. They're one of the better tackling teams you see on defense. This year and last the tape shows you all that when you watch it."
- Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
