Sean Payton, Drew Brees, Ron Rivera, Luke Kuechly conference calls before Saints at Panthers

New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton

Conference Call with New Orleans Media

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

What went into the decision to trade Stephone Anthony?

“I think there came a time in where he was at in regards to where we were at in his development. I think unfortunately his injury during training camp really prevented him from receiving the snaps we were hoping to see. Ultimately it came down to a decision rosterwise for us. I love this kid. I think the world of him. Hopefully he can bounce back and make an impact for Miami.”

Depthwise how does that effect the position?

“We’re constantly paying attention to our own depth. (Craig) Robertson, (Nate) Stupar, (Adam) Bighill’s come up. We’ll be smart there about going into a game and also handling the week’s work at practice.”

You said (Adam) Bighill has come up, so he’s been elevated to the active roster?

“No. I’m sorry. I was just discussing he was up and so depth-wise, there’s five (linebackers) on the active roster right now. Nothing has changed.”

Any other transactions because this obviously frees a space?

“None right now. When practice ends today, we’ll go through it with you guys.”

Can you have any early impressions on how Christian McCaffrey has changed the Panthers offense?

“He provides a variable personnel groupings. When he enters the game, there are a handful of things that you have to defend. A) I think he’s a very good runner. B) you see him in the passing game. Then you see him in roles which you have to defend. And it might be with Stewart on the field as well. So they’ve done a good job in the first two weeks of really getting in and out a handful of personnel groupings but forcing you to account for him. He’s versatile. Obviously we’re very familiar with the player having just come out. And then we haven’t even talked about his special teams’ snaps.”

They’ll be without Greg Olsen, how does that affect what they do with him being such a critical piece?

“He is a significant piece. I think that offense over the years has played very well when they’ve missed a key contributor. But he’s someone that provides such a balance on the other side of the field. If he’s opposite of (Kelvin) Benjamin it becomes challenges with where you’re going to roll coverage. But we’re just going to have to be ready for that combination of (Ed) Dickson when he’s in the game or how they are going to play (Chris) Manhertz. They signed a fullback yesterday. There’s still a little bit of unknown.”

What do you think about the way Julius Peppers is still making an impact?

“I think a couple of things. He certainly is the exception to the norm. He has rare skills. He is in a perfect role for them. He is someone that can play on the edge. He has played inside. When you put him together with Charles Johnson, Star Lotulelei, (Kawann) K. Short, you start getting a really salty front that plays fresh. They’ve done a great job personnelwise there. And even adding him in the offseason, I think that it was a smart move.”

Have you seen improvement from that defense since last year?

“I have. I think you see it in the front. And I’d say this the corners are now in year two. (James) Bradberry and (James) Worley are both playing well. So I do think in these first two weeks, they’re playing with a lot of confidence.”

How do you caution against guys looking ahead with the London trip to play the Dolphins immediately after?

“No one can possibly be looking ahead to London. It’s a good question but with where we’re at right now the focus has to be on this division with this game. I don’t think that will be difficult.”

Christian McCaffrey adding changes to Panthers offense?

“There are some route concepts with him in the game whether he’s position in empty (backfield) or pony (formation). There are some things they do extremely well that they have done in the past. And then there are a handful of things that are unique to his skillset that you have seen on a limited basis in two regular season games. Nonetheless clearly that’s something you have to prepare for.”

New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees

Media Availability

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

What do you think is the key to getting the offense back to where it has been in the past in terms of productivity?

“I think execution. I think overall we’ve put together some good drives. I think the drives that have stalled on us in large part are because of penalties. There are times where we just haven’t had a chance to get a drive going. And in some cases have been stopped has been because of penalty. In some cases we’re putting together drives and we’re just not getting some of those touchdowns when I think the opportunities are there to get them. When you play close games, those are the difference makers.”

Defensively Carolina has only given up three points each game, how are they looking defensively?

“They are very good. They are extremely disciplined. They have a great front seven that’ve been together for a long time now obviously those linebackers. They rotate that d-line in and out. They have some pass rushers and run defenders. They have the young corners that are now into their second years and play with a lot more confidence. The safeties are very good players as well. So all in all, it’s a very sound defense that plays really well together.”

Julius Peppers drinking out of the fountain of youth or something?

“He has a role that he plays very, very well. You still see him get off the quarterback in the pass rush. He’s a big powerful guy.”

Is this situation starting to look like the past two years facing the possibility of starting 0-3?

“We’re doing our absolute best in regards to preparation to try to win the game during the week. If you have that type of mindset and focus on the process you feel like the result will take care of itself. It’s a division game. It’s on the road. It’s a very good team. It’s a team that’s 2-0. It’s a team that’s playing with a lot of confidence. But we’re just waiting to break the seal. I feel like it can be this week. I hope it’s this week.”

Missed opportunities?

“We have missed a couple of things by a very small margin. But it is a small margin for this business. I think the more time we have together the better we get. I can’t blame anything that happened in the last game because of a lack of time on task. We just had a couple that were just right there, just wasn’t able to make the play however that was.”

Fans are frustrated, message to the fans?

“We believe. We believe in ourselves. I hope that our fans believe in us too. I believe they do. I’ve heard from people and it’s been very positive.”

Thoughts on (Luke) Kuechly?

“He’s a very smart football player who can diagnose very quickly. He can anticipate a lot of what’s happening. Rarely will you get him on something twice. You may gameplan something and you get him the first time and then you feel like you can run it again and he’s right where you’re going to be running the ball or throwing the ball or whatever it might be. He’s just an extremely intelligent football player. He’s a great leader. You see him just directing traffic all the time, getting guys lined up at times changing the call to put his defense in better position just like the quarterback would on offense. He is definitely the quarterback on defense.”

What is it about playing there that hasn’t resulted in the wins in Charlotte the last two years?

“No, I really believe we’ve played some good games there. I guess we’ve had our share of losses there but no I don’t think there’s anything out of the ordinary.”

How similar are (Alvin) Kamara and (Christian) McCaffrey from what you’ve seen?

“I don’t know much about McCaffrey other than he’s a very dynamic player. The same way we feel about Kamara.”

What has stood out to you about what Alvin’s been able to do so far?

“He’s a real versatile guy, we can use him in a lot of different ways. I think he’s an even better runner than I ever expected. Most guys are great out of the backfield at times those guys and pinch the hole then too. That being their thing. And yet, he’s really a great pure runner. He runs with a lot of patience. He’s extremely athletic. (He’s) Very quick through the hole. (He) Just does a lot of things very naturally, very instinctively.”

Mark Ingram II became the number two rusher in team history on Sunday, what are your thoughts about his stability to stay in that role with so much turnover?

“It’s impressive at the running back position. It’s a tough position to play. It’s a very physical one. One where typically guys get beat up pretty often. I’ve really appreciated his career. He came in when Pierre (Thomas) was a guy and when (Darren) Sproles (had arrived). Mark kind of had his role and then he was banged up quite a bit early on. Then he just kind of found his way and not only became a great downhill runner for us but just all-purpose. I think he’s one of the best all-purpose backs in the league when you account for what he does just running the ball between the tackles, outside the tackles, what he does in the pass protection. In the pass game we split him out when he’s out in the backfield. He’s really a complete player.”

Is there more of a sense of pressure when trying to get through to the younger guys that we are close and we can turn this thing around since they haven’t had a taste of that yet?

“Yes, but it’s step by step. You have to start with the process and preparation. Just understanding that if you do not just go out on Sunday and snap your fingers and it happens. There is so much that goes into the preparation for gameday. We talk about winning the game before you even play, winning the game before you get there. Then you go out in the game and it becomes fun, things slow down because you’ve seen it so many times on film or you’ve practiced it so many times you’ve anticipated it and visualized it in your head. I think once you begin to reap the benefits or see the success from the work from the preparation that is what brings them the confidence and the momentum.”

What do you remember about A.J. Klein when you guys studied film with him when he was in Carolina?

“Well I did not get to play against A.J. Klein (in 2015). Luke McCown played the game when he was the starter (in 2015). That was when Kuechly was out and I was out. I saw he was a very good player that would come out in a role when (Luke) Kuechly went down, he would come in. If the Mike or somebody else went down he would come in. Really the Sam. He was a guy who could play all the linebacker positions. He seemed very in tune with what was happening defensively. He’d kind of get in and again, quarterback the defense. He came here and stepped into this role and has basically done that for us. He’s done a tremendous job for us.”

What are some of the challenges for you and the running backs when the offensive line has the guys shuffling around a lot?

“Continuity is always what you hope for obvious reasons. Guys get shuffled around that’s just part of it. I don’t think that affects too much of our approach and my mindset other than throughout the course of gameplanning you’re trying to get the gameplan to help certain guys and alleviate the stress or the pressure off of certain guys. But it doesn’t really change a whole lot.”

 

Carolina Panthers Linebacker Luke Kuechly

Conference Call with New Orleans Media

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

 

What you saw out of the Saints offense the first couple of weeks?

“Well Drew Brees is still really good. I think Alvin Kamara is a really good player. I think he’s kind of in that (Darren) Sproles kind of family a little bit where he’s really good out of the backfield. He’s really good running the ball. He’s shifty in space. I think they can get him out on screens and then mismatch opportunities on linebackers. I think if you’re Drew Brees, you’re happy to have a guy like him. I think Michael Thomas isn’t always given enough credit either. I think he’s a really good player. He had over 1,000 yards last year. I’m surprised more people aren’t talking about him. But their offense is still what it is. It’s explosive. Drew makes it run and they’re very creative with the ball.”

Does Kamara change what the Saints have been doing since the last time they had Sproles do you think?

“I think they always had guys in that same kind of (role). You had (Travaris) Cadet and guys like that. I think he’s just really good out of the backfield and good in that system for what you guys do. I think the backfield this year is the best it has been in a while. You have Mark (Ingram II) who’s another guy I don’t think gets credit. He’s really good. Obviously (they added) Adrian Peterson and now you have Kamara. They’re all a little bit different and they all do different things. But I think together they are really a potent group of three.”

Have you seen any similarities between Kamara and your guy you’ve been practicing against all summer Christian McCaffrey?

“Yes. I think they have the same kind of box of plays. They can kind of line up anywhere. I saw Alvin run a go ball, he caught a go ball. He has run angles. He has run screens. He has run routes. He’s kind of does a little bit (of everything). And he can run the ball. He had a really good run earlier in that Cleveland game. I think in the preseason where he ran it in there, bounced off a couple of guys, broke a couple of tackles and got out on the edge. So he’s not just a scatback. He’s a guy that can run in between the tackles and make some moves in there too.”

Has it been weird not having A.J. (Klein) around?

“Yes, I miss him. I miss having him here. I miss him and Ted (Ginn Jr.). You guys are lucky you got those guys. They both are good dudes. They both play hard and I miss having them around.”

What was your relationship with A.J. like? Obviously you came in a year before him in 2012.

“Me and A.J. were really close. We were in the same room. We hung out a lot. He was one of my better friends on the team. I was bummed he left us. But I was excited for him to have the opportunity he got down there and he deserves it. He’s worked real hard. I’m excited to see him have a good year this year.”

What do you remember about your first impressions meeting him in 2013?

“He was smart and he understood the game of football. He worked really hard. He kind of just came in and did everything the right way. He was perfect. When you come in as a young guy, you always look for guys to be friends with. A.J. came in my second year and I was lucky to have him around.”

How much did you sense though he was always waiting for his opportunity?

“I knew it right away. He came in and he was ready to play. It’s just there were some other guys in the room at that point. It was only a matter of time before A.J. had an opportunity to play elsewhere and get a chance to start, play a lot and play all three downs and all the snaps in the game. We were lucky to have him for four years. We all just knew it was a matter of time before he got an opportunity somewhere else.”

What do you remember about your impressions of the way he played when you were hurt and he was filling in for you?

“It was one of those things I do not think anyone on our team was surprised of how well he did. I think he came in, he had a pick, some sacks. He had a couple forced fumbles. He came in and did exactly what we all thought he would. Come in, he did not miss a beat. He did everything he needed to do. He got guys lined up. He played hard. He created turnovers and made big plays for us. So it wasn’t a surprise to anybody on our team that he played as well as he did.”

Back to McCaffrey, how much does practicing against a guy like that help you prepare for a guy like Kamara?

“Well you know they both are shifty out of the backfield. They both are good in space. And they both are dangerous with the football. So when you have a guy like Christian and even Fozzy Whittaker, that are good out of the backfield it kind of gives you a good prep for the season.”

What about the way Julius Peppers is playing?

“He has done a great job and I think you bring in a guy like that it brings a boost to your team even before the ball’s snapped. Just to have a veteran, future Hall of Fame guy on your team’s a cool deal. We’re happy to have him and he’s played great so far this year.”

What’s been the difference in your defense compared to the start of last season?

“I think we got some guys back that we(re) young last year. James (Bradberry) and Daryl (Worley) were both rookies last year and have a full year under their belt. I think they’re more comfortable with what we’re doing. They are more comfortable with the NFL game. When you add pieces on defense like Pepp and Mike Adams and Captain Munnerlyn, hey don’t need a lot of time to acclimate to your team and to your system. They make transitions more seamless than maybe a young guy would. Coach (Steve) Wilks has us playing well. The defensive line up front is playing great so when those guys are doing as good a job as they are it makes our job easier.”

How much growth have you seen out of those young corners?

“They have taken steps in the right direction. They have worked really hard. I think they both take coaching. They both learn. Your first year in the NFL there’s a lot of new things going on. You move to a new city, got a new team. You get new friends. You are in a whole new game. Everything moves faster. There is a lot of stuff to worry about that these guys now moved in(to) their second year. They are comfortable in Charlotte. Now all they have to do is worry about football. I think when you can isolate it to just football, you can get a lot better.

How difficult was the experience of having a concussion during the last Saints matchup?

“It was a bummer. I was bummed I couldn’t play. But it was one of those situations where our team did a good job of making sure I got better and was good to go. So we have moved on from it and hopefully that was the last one.”

Carolina Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera

Conference Call with New Orleans Media

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Do you see any similarities between Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara?

“Yeah there are a lot of similarities, both have good hands, good runners, good vision and cutback ability stuff like that. I mean they’re similar in a lot of aspects.”

Does Alvin Kamara make the Saints offense different to prepare for than the last couple years?

“When you watch them you see them do similar things that some of the guys they’ve had in previous years do. I think now from the perspective that it’s a running back doing them as opposed to a wide receiver, yes.”

How much does having two former players on the opposing team affect what you want to do play calling wise and even hand signals?

“We’ve worked on changing them since last year since we had so many guys leave and we ended up playing them, like we had to make adjustments for Buffalo, obviously we’ve made adjustments for New Orleans.”

What do you remember about A.J. Klein’s draft evaluation?

“Solid football player, smart, good lateral movement, plays downhill and with this hands.”

How much did you get the sense that A.J. Klein wanted a bigger opportunity?

“Oh big time, we knew we couldn’t keep him. He’s just too good of a football player not to be every down player. He just ended up in a tough spot with us. He’s more of an inside Sam-type backer as far as we were concerned and we had guys in that position already in terms of Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly.”

What have you seen out of the Saints former tight end Chris Manhertz?

“Good football player, young guy learning. He’s has a couple good opportunities the last couple weeks and he’s made the most of them. He’s a guy that was a projection because he played basketball in college and now we are trying to make a tight end out of him.”

How much of a role do you see Chris Manhertz playing Sunday?

“It’s going to be expanded obviously, but we’ll have to see the flow of the game as to how much he plays.”

What has been the difference in your defense start of this season versus start of last season?

“A lot of it has to do with personnel obviously. We had a different mix of guys. I think part of it too is our corners are a little bit older obviously and have a little bit more football savvy to them. We have been a little bit more affective early on with the pass rush.”

What do you think about Julius Peppers ability to still have an impact at his age?

“Tremendous, I mean he is a phenomenal athlete. He works hard at everything he does and he’s been a great inspiration to our younger players.”

Is there anything that you specifically look for when you’re drafting a linebacker?

“Just a guy that plays the game the way it should be played if you ask me. I like how physical guys are. I really like Manti Te’o, I think he is a solid player and I like the young man Alex Anzalone the rookie. We liked him coming out and we thought he was a football player. Just one of those guys that goes out and plays hard and makes plays.”

How have you evaluated the Saints defense so far this season?

“First of all, they’ve played some very good football teams. I’ll be honest about that, you play the defending Super Bowl champs and you’re playing a pretty doggone good Minnesota football team and they’ve come up against some stiff completion. I thought they have done some nice things. I think they are a young team. There are a lot more new faces as I look down their roster and go wow ok. They really are playing a lot of new young guys.”