Saints Super Bowl Notebook
MIAMI - Very little news from Friday as nearly everything is put to bed concerning the game. New Orleans had its final practice of the season, though the team will go through a walk-through on Saturday just to put the finishing touches on everything.
- Players were unavailable for comment Friday.
- When asked about the comfort level for QB Drew Brees, HC Sean Payton said, "You try to look at the defense that you're getting and try to get some rhythm for him. He's a guy that can get real hot early and I look at it as a coach, our coaches look at it, as certainly an objective of ours."
- Payton talked about meeting his wife when he was coaching at Indiana State and the family he has in Indiana. He joked that his family was "on a flight out here yesterday and probably were the only ones wearing Saints jerseys."
- While everyone knows what winning a Super Bowl would mean to the city of New Orleans, there hasn't been much written about what it would mean to Payton. "One of the things that you talk to your players about, an accomplishment like that almost binds you forever as a team, a coaching staff," Payton said. "More important than any of the celebration or any of the other things that go along with winning a championship, I think that in itself is pretty significant.”
- When many people were worried about the Saints during their three-game losing streak to end the regular season, there was no worry with the team itself. There was a rhyme and reason for what was happening. "I think the key was preparing to play well in the playoffs," Payton said. "Much was made of finishing the regular season and a lot was written about it. Most importantly, it was just getting prepared physically and mentally to play the division round, no different than the approach Indianapolis was taking."
- Payton dispelled any notion that this team wouldn't be relaxed and ready for Sunday's game. As he said, the Saints have had several "big games" this season already. "If you continue to play well, we’re going to be in more games that are certainly bigger than this one, and obviously this is the last game," Payton said. "This is the championship game and yet, that routine, that mindset as to preparation and going and playing, and keeping it just like we’ve done throughout the course of the year."
- New Orleans will have a walk-through on Saturday, it's final practice session of any kind for the 2009 season. The Super Bowl is set for Sunday with kickoff set for roughly 5:25 p.m.
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