Saints, Patriots go helmet-to-helmet in joint practice
- By HOWARD ULMAN
- Associated Press writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — One championship may be just the start for the New Orleans Saints. They’re studying how the New England Patriots kept winning NFL titles, hoping to match that domination.
One imitation already has been a resounding, and humorous, success: Saints coach Sean Payton’s impression of Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
On Tuesday, Payton’s team got a close, helmet-to-helmet look at the club that won Super Bowls after the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons. The defending champs participated in the first of two days of joint practices before the teams meet in their exhibition opener on Thursday night.
“He’s a guy that certainly I respect,” Payton said of Belichick. “When we got to New Orleans in ’06, we paid close attention to who was winning in our league and, clearly, we patterned our organization after what New England was trying to accomplish. My grandmother used to say, ‘I think imitation is the greatest form of flattery.’”
So Belichick should be extremely flattered by the way Payton motivated his team for a Monday night game against the Patriots last season. New Orleans dominated 38-17 at home to improve to 11-0.
Payton showed up for a team meeting five days before the game dressed similar to Belichick in a Patriots blue hoodie and mimicking his physical mannerisms.
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