Saints, Panthers release Thursday injury reports ahead of first divisional matchup

SAINTS

Pos. Name, Injury, Wednesday — Thursday
G Andrus Peat, Forearm, DNP — DNP
CB Marshon Lattimore, Hamstring, DNP — DNP
WR/KR Deonte Harris, Hamstring, DNP — DNP
FB Zach Line, Knee, DNP — DNP
TE Josh Hill, Concussion, LP — LP
G Larry Warford, Thigh, LP — FP
WR Austin Carr, Ankle, LP — LP
T Ryan Ramczyk, Knee, LP — FP

PANTHERS

Pos. Name, Injury, Wednesday
CB Ross Cockrell, Quadricep, DNP — DNP
DT Gerald McCoy, Knee, DNP — LP
T Dennis Daley, Groin, LP — LP
S Eric Reid, Knee, LP — LP
LB Shaq Thompson, Ankle, LP — LP
LB/DE Brian Burns, Wrist, FP — FP
OT Greg Little, Knee, NL — FP

New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
Conference Call with New Orleans Media
Thursday, November 21, 2019

Do you assess not scoring on an opening drive, like any other drive?

“No, I mean listen, I think it’s a fair question and it’s not like I’m never going to say, hey, we’re just giving up a drive together, a bunch of information for this game. We need to score and we’ve had field goals of late, but not touchdowns. So yeah, we pay attention to that and look in a perfect world, you’re looking to score seven points, not just three, but more to your point, there’s certain things you do in that drive that can give you some information, but that’s not paramount. What’s paramount is trying to score points.”

Does it annoy you more not scoring points on an opening drive that you script?

“I don’t know that we, I mean, listen, we script that opening drive on Saturday and yeah you want to be better than we’ve been and it’s something that’s been, I think a strength of ours. Part of that is reducing the penalties and then also improving the execution.”

What kind of jumps out about this young receiving core that Carolina has?

“Well, they can run, their explosive and I would say, they get down the field in this offense and Norv (Turner) kind of always has been a guy that’s going to try to stretch the field that direction and does a great job of it and they also are heavily involved in some of the wide receiver runs, reverses and end arounds.”

Do you have any personal connection to Norv Turner and what’s the hallmark of a Norv Turner offense?

“Over the years, I’ve never worked with Norv, (but) I have great respect for him and the job he’s done. He was one of the guys you studied coming up into this thing. With all the success he had in college and then all with the Cowboys. I think always there’s an element of getting the ball down the field. I think his teams have always run the ball well and they’re doing that right now. I’ve definitely gotten to know him over the years and is someone that I think has been a good friend and someone that has always been very open to younger coaches.”

Is there anything that Dennis Allen has done an even better job of this year, as he just continues to evolve as defensive coordinator?

“I think the experience with his players on that side of the ball (has increased). I think with the staff, I think it’s a group that has worked together now for quite a while. I feel like our depth on that side of the ball is improved and he’s doing a real good job and I think that his second time around as a defensive coordinator having, he just had the one year when you think about it in Denver before he became a head coach (has made him more experienced). So now he’s really getting to do that job and not just for a period of six months (brief period he was in Denver).”

Are guys like Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara setting a new prototype of what you’re looking for in a running back?

“Nah, these prototypes have existed as long as the hills. Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, one thing I’ve learned about this position is it comes in all shapes and sizes. You do need to have a strong lower body, but to say new prototype, I think that would be doing an injustice to a lot of great running backs before these guys. Pick one (such as Tony) Dorsett, just go on and on and on. They are different type of backs. I would say that and yet, Marshall Faulk (as an example), those are some players that come to mind.”