By Jarrett Bell | USA Today
METAIRIE, La. – You might wonder what in the world Sean Payton was thinking last weekend when, already trailing 14-0 in the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles, he essentially bet the house by calling for a fake punt on fourth-and-1 from his own 30-yard line.
Or what the fiery New Orleans Saints coach was trying to ignite last week in ramping up for the playoff opener by wheeling into the locker room a replica of the Vince Lombardi Trophy and more than $200,000 in cash – in single bills.
Or why Payton, a former quarterback whose journey as a player took him to the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and crossing an NFL picket line as a scab back in the day, carries a game-day edge that often makes it seem like he’s still playing – to the point that apparent trash-talk from the sideline fueled some kind of postgame heat in early November from Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Peters.
Well, it all comes from the same pot of gumbo.
“Sean got swag, man,” Saints running back Alvin Kamara summed up to USA TODAY recently. ...
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