New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton calls out from the sideline in the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in New Orleans, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014. The Saints won 44-23. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)
Perhaps the easiest question Saints coach Sean Payton answered in the news conference he held after his team pummeled Green Bay 44-23 on Sunday night was whether he had come close to not challenging the spot of a play that had been ruled a third-down conversion for the Packers — but had actually come up short.
“I haven’t met many I don’t like — challenges, that is,” Payton coolly told reporters.
That was a good thing for Payton on Sunday night. After deciding to successfully challenge that play, the Saints finished off the Packers (5-3) to bolster their 2014 record to 3-4.
The play in question occurred with the Saints ahead 23-16 with 4:19 to go in the third quarter. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (28-of-39 for 418 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while playing with a hamstring strain for part of the game) completed a short pass on third-and-7 to receiver Davante Adams that the officiating crew led by Ed Hochuli originally said was just long enough to get Green Bay a new set of downs at its 41.
But Payton threw his red flag to challenge the spot.
“We knew he caught it — the question really was, ‘Was there a slight bobble before he secured it?’” said Payton, whose team had all three of its second-half timeouts. “It is one of those where you are looking at the timeouts, and it was close enough; it was significant enough being that it was a third-down call.”
After reviewing the play, Hochuli determined Adams had come up short of the first-down marker, reversing the call on the field and setting up Green Bay for a fourth-and-1 from its 40. Payton improved to 2-of-3 on challenges this year; and, when the Packers went for it on fourth down, Saints linebacker David Hawthorne and defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker stuffed running back Eddie Lacy (13 carries for 59 yards and eight catches for 123 yards) for no gain.
The Packers as a result turned the ball over to the Saints on downs. New Orleans ran three plays before quarterback Drew Brees hit All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham for a 22-yard touchdown pass that helped give the a 30-16 lead.
It was one of three touchdowns thrown by Brees (27-of-32 for 311 yards and no interceptions). The Saints would score two more touchdowns and concede only one TD to a Packers team before the game ended, meaning New Orleans outpaced its opponent 21-7 after Payton won his challenge of the referees’ decision to erroneously award Green Bay a first down.
“I’m glad,” Payton said, “we were able (to challenge).”
The Saints are now 76-43 in the regular season under Payton, who took charge of the franchise in 2006. They visit the Carolina Panthers (3-4-1) on Thursday night, where they’ll try to win on the road after losing nine of their last 10 regular-season away games.
If the Saints win, they’d be in first place of the NFC South after losing four of their first six games this season.