NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton recaps his team’s 18-10 win over the Carolina Panthers during a conference call with local media Monday afternoon.
The Saints win puts them at 8-8 on the season and keeps their playoff hopes alive as they enter the final week of the NFL regular season.
“The must-win games always come down to those wins that keep a team’s playoff hopes alive or not. When you enter the playoffs, those are must-win games. This past weekend (vs. Carolina) was a must-win game. This weekend (at Atlanta) is a must-win game. In other words, prior to that, there are other things that happen, so it’s not necessarily a must-win game. They’ve heard me on the other end say, ‘Hey, we’re going to play in important games, this is an important game, but don’t let anyone tell you it’s a must-win game.’ So, when these games come up, then we say that, and I think they understand it,” says Saints head coach Sean Payton.
The Saints travel to Atlanta for a rematch with the Falcons Sunday at 3:25 p.m.
Atlanta defeated the Saints at home earlier this season in a tight, 27-25 ball game.
