NFL: Saints coach Payton tests positive for coronavirus

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has tested positive for coronavirus.

The 56-year-old coach confirmed his diagnosis with ESPN on Thursday, becoming the first known case within the NFL's ranks.

Payton said he wasn't feeling well Sunday, got tested Monday and received his results Thursday. He said he feels fatigued, but has no fever or cough. He is resting at home under quarantine and is optimistic about making a full recovery.

He told ESPN's Adam Schefter that he came forward with his diagnosis because he wants everyone to heed the warnings of government and health officials, stay inside and behave responsibly.

"This is not just about social distancing," Payton told ESPN. "It's shutting down here for a week to two weeks. If people understand the curve, and understand the bump, we can easily work together as a country to reduce it. Take a minute to understand what the experts are saying. It's not complicated to do what they're asking of us. Just that type of small investment by every one of us will have a dramatic impact.

"I was fortunate to be in the minority, without the serious side effects that some have. I'm lucky. Younger people feel like they can handle this, but they can be a carrier to someone who can't handle it. So we all need to do our part. It's important for every one of us to do our part."

Payton has compiled a 131-77 record in 13 seasons with the Saints. He led New Orleans to the franchise's only Super Bowl championship during the 2009 season.

The Saints went 13-3 and won the NFC South division title for the third straight season in 2019 before losing to the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs.

Louisiana has been one of the states hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with 347 known cases and eight deaths as of Thursday, according to CNN.

"The concern with Louisiana is the amount of people that come in and out of this area after Mardi Gras season. This is an area that doctors are concerned about. So our parents, and those that are more susceptible to this virus, deserve everyone doing their best to combat it," Payton told ESPN.

"There are hundreds of people right now in tough predicaments, fighting for their lives. Let's be part of the solution, not the problem. We can easily help reduce the numbers of those impacted. We have to do our best to beat this and I know we can."

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Impossible-to-stop offense, opportunistic defense power Saints past Lions

NEW ORLEANS—Three observations from watching the New Orleans Saints defeat the Detroit Lions 45-28 in front of a raucous home crowd to advance to the divisional playoff round on the road in San Francisco next week:
The only thing stopping the Saints’ offense at the moment is the Saints’ offense

New Orleans didn’t need to punt once on Saturday night, and the two times it booted the ball away via fumbles, Detroit couldn’t capitalize with much-needed first-half points on either rare occasion.

The Saints, with Sean Payton and Drew Brees, have all three levels of their offense working.

When the Lions played the deep ball well, the Saints simply had their backs hew up yards in the wide open spaces underneath.

"We saw a defense that was very, very patient," coach Sean Payton said. "Sometimes that can be frustrating, but they sat in coverage and periodically would break that shell.

When the Lions were lulled into closing in on the rushing damage of Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Chris Ivory, Brees’ eyes lit up in seeing easy downfield opportunities to speedsters Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem.

"The big plays in the second half really helped us," Payton said.

As usual, a big factor in opening up both the short and long was uncoverable tight end Jimmy Graham occupying the attention of linebackers and safeties in the middle of the field. The Lions played “pick your poison,” but somehow swallowed every pill as the Saints posted a playoff record 626 yards of total offense.

In the modern pass-happy era, because New Orleans also excels at rushing the ball, we’ve never seen an NFL team move the ball quite like this.

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-01-07/saints-beat-lions-drew-brees-matthew-stafford-passing-yards-darren-sproles#ixzz1iqnsBJTJ