In 2012, banners and T-shirts around town urged "Free Sean Payton." Now, with word the Miami Dolphins might want the services of the New Orleans Saints coach, perhaps it's time for the team to do just that.
Before yesterday's bad team vs. worse team beatdown in Philadelphia, news broke that the Miami Dolphins, among other NFL teams, will attempt to trade for Saints coach Sean Payton after the 2015 season comes to a merciful end.
If the Saints do find themselves with the opportunity to trade Payton, they should take it. Here's why.
As recently as last week I maintained some optimism that Payton's time in New Orleans wasn't quite over — that the adaptability he showed with backup quarterback Luke McCown under center indicated his coaching acumen was still up to date, that he still had cards to play. Even with a struggling offensive line, I figured, Payton's shift to a quick-passing offense could be supplemented by the full-scale deployment of weapon CJ Spiller to put defenses on their heels and keep the Saints' hopes alive.
Payton didn't do that. Instead, he reverted. Behind an offensive line composed of backups, Payton rammed his backs straight ahead into Philadelphia's defense in a vain attempt to set up deep shots that rarely had a chance to materialize. The result? Drew Brees was pummeled, dropping deep into the pocket only to have Eagles defender Fletcher Cox all over him. Sacks and fumbles and, in at least one case, hits to Brees' damaged right shoulder ensued.
Payton's plan was unimaginative lunacy. It seemed lazy. Payton seems not so much set in his ways as uninspired, as if it takes the challenge of figuring out how to succeed with a McCown to provoke the ideas and obsessive attention to detail that once made him special.