Payton's locker room presence

paul said

I don't agree with diat about us saying the same things about Haslett's teams. Many of us felt that Haslett's teams were undisciplined on the field and sometimes in the locker room as well. Many games were mailed in under Haslett.... I don't see our team under Payton not winning one of those last games in December 2002 to make the playoffs.

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Haslett's teams were undisciplined because the coach himself was undisciplined. He had that affair with a cheerleader that cost him money and also cost him the team's respect. He was also playing a quarterback that wasn't as good as the guy behind him. Football players not only don't respect that, they despise it because it's costing them a chance to be the best team they can be. That's why Haslett's teams tanked on him at the first sign of adversity. They didn't want to play for the guy.

Furthermore, he didn't have a leader at the qb position like Drew Brees. Do NOT underestimate the motivation that Brees gives this team. Brees has been a winner at every level. I think he is the one who motivates this team to play even when they have nothing to play for.

To respond to your last statement, I have a question. Why don't you see our team under Payton losing those last few games in December 2002? This opinion is based on what? Payton's teams didn't win enough to make the playoffs this year when most pundits think they should have. Payton's teams didn't win enough last year to make the playoffs when most pundits thought they should have. Payton has had two consecutive years of underachieving.

His teams are underachieving in a different way than Haslett's Saints did. Haslett's Saints, after the playoff victory year, would come out strong and finish weak. Payton's teams, after the playoff victory year, have come out weak and finished strong. So, no, maybe Payton's teams wouldn't lose all four games in December, but when you lose three games in September, it doesn't really matter what you do in December, as we've discovered the last two years.

Now, if you can determine WHY Payton can't win in September, you can probably solve the team's problems. For myself ... I already know why. For those who still can't understand why Payton has been out of the playoffs for the last two seasons, look at the common events in the first of the year, this year and last year, and the common events at the end of the year, this year and last year. You'll have your answer.