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Snippets from the Thursday morning teleconference of New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton:
1. Today is Payton’s 53rd birthday.
2. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (346-for-498 for 4,613 yards and 34 touchdowns, with seven interceptions) is having one of his best seasons. “He’s had some phenomenal seasons and they’ve had some playoff teams and yet, what they’re doing right now with yards per play, big-play passing, they’ve got balance … I think he’s having, by far, if not his best, certainly one of his best seasons,” Payton said. “I think he would evaluate it as one of his best with regard to the team winning. I think that’s one of the first areas that we’re graded at.”
3. Payton gave high marks to the play this season of right guard Jahri Evans, who was released in February and brought back days prior to the regular-season opener. When Evans, the second-most decorated offensive lineman in franchise history, opens Sunday’s game against the Falcons in the Georgia Dome, it will be the first time he has started all 16 games since 2014. “I think the one thing, he looks light. He is light,” Payton said. “His weight – I think the challenge, as you play longer in this league, particularly in some of those positions inside, the first thing they say to go are your legs. So, the one thing that can help that is to reduce what they’re carrying. I think he’s in shape. I definitely think he’s having a real good year, comparing it to the last two or three. He’s healthy. I know he battled some injuries here in the last couple of years with his wrist and his knee. Quietly, he’s gone about his business. Knowing now what we’re getting from him, if I knew that back then, he’d have been going through our minicamp, training camp. I’ve been impressed and excited with how he’s playing.”
By John DeShaizer
Full Story - NewOrleansSaints.com
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