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It’s officially football season across the NFL as all 32 teams have reported to training camp in preparation for the 2013-14 campaign.
In New Orleans, the Saints are grinding their gears in the tough Louisiana heat – lumbering through training camp at their practice facility in Metairie.
But they are doing so with a familiar face back in town – esteemed head coach Sean Payton.
With the Black and Gold preparing for their first preseason game this weekend, the Saints’ players have expressed relief throughout the week that their coach is calling the shots again after missing all of this past season while serving a one-year suspension for his role in the team’s bounty program.
“I love the fact that Sean is back, and he is taking the reins,” quarterback Drew Brees said. “I love that he is going to be the voice in my ear (this season).”
“There’s an overall sense of normalcy now,” receiver Lance Moore added. “Just to have everything back to the way it was two years ago is good.
“Now, we can just go out to work and enjoy getting better each and every day.”
From the opening seconds of training camp, Payton has made his return known.
During his year-long suspension, the coach said he rededicated his body to fitness and healthy living.
Payton has made sure his work ethic rubbed off on the team.
On the opening day of camp, Payton completely redid the team’s conditioning test – making the examination much harder than it has been in years past.
That move was the talk of camp on opening day, as players talked to the media exhausted from their strenuous workout.
“Well, they threw away the old conditioning test,” defensive end Cameron Jordan said with a laugh. “It was a completely new test. That’s one for the ages – what we did yesterday – that was different.”
“It wasn’t just running,” Brees added. “Normally when you think conditioning test, you think straight conditioning. (This year), it was a combination of some weights and some body weight exercises. It was all-inclusive.
“It was like a 10-minute wrestling match.”
One of the reasons why the Saints have increased their commitment to hard work and fitness is because of the subpar season the team had in 2012-13.
New Orleans finished the season 7-9 and was out of the playoff chase for most of the final weeks of the season.
“A 7-9 record doesn’t sit well with any of us,” Payton said. “There’s an expectation level that we have.”
A lot of the blame for last season’s failures fell on the team’s defense, which ranked as the worst statistical defense in league history.
But Payton said the offense shouldn’t be totally blameless either.
The coach said the Saints need to be more balanced in the upcoming season in their attempts to return to NFC prominence.
He said that the team’s reliance upon the passing game made New Orleans too predictable last season.
“There were a number of things offensively that we didn’t do well,” Payton said. “As I’ve said before, we look for that balance offensively. … We’re going to have to improve in a number of areas to improve our team and have a better season.”
It’s hard for Saints fans to fathom the thought – but Brees, himself, believes that he needs to be better in 2013-14 for New Orleans to take the next step.
The Saints’ Pro Bowl quarterback was solid again last season, completing 422-of-670 passes for 5,177 yards and 43 touchdowns.
But Brees’ completion percentage (63 percent) was his lowest mark since the 2003 season. His 19 interceptions were the second highest mark of his 12-year career.
Brees is 34 and will be 35 by season’s end.
He said he admits his 2012 play wasn’t as good as it’s been in recent years, but he refuses to accept the notion that he is “past his prime.”
“I don’t think so,” Brees said when asked if his 2012 decline was because of age. “I feel like I’m still in my prime – very much so.”
Defensively, the Saints are hard at work in training camp learning their new 3-4 scheme under new coordinator Rob Ryan.
Overall, the coordinator said the team has had some growing pains throughout the early days of practice.
But the veteran coordinator added that he doesn’t believe that New Orleans will field the worst defense in the league again this year.
He believes fans will be pleasantly surprised at how well the Saints keep teams out of the end zone.
Payton agrees and added that the team’s defense has been impressive in camp.
“I think he has brought enthusiasm,” Payton said. “It’s contagious to that room. I think they have responded very well.”
New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton talks to reporters at the open of training camp. The Saints are enjoying having Payton back on the sideline. Quarterback Drew Brees said he is very excited to have Payton back calling plays for the team.
