New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton is in an uncomfortable situation -- and it has nothing to do with any lingering pain he feels in his surgically repaired left knee.
Payton has been forced to watch the Saints from up in the booth since he was injured during the Saints' Week 6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which prevents the fiery coach from confronting his players when they're not playing as well as he would like. Such was the case this past Sunday in a 31-21 loss to the St. Louis Rams.
"I think the one element of being removed sometimes can be frustrating," Payton told the Times-Picayune. "Certainly, it's not a big deal if you're winning and having success like we had the week before. Yet that part of it is more frustrating for me than calling or not calling plays. There are certain things, if you want to get the attention of a player, or stress the emphasis of a situation or where you're at in the game."
Quarterback Drew Brees conceded that it's not the same without Payton roaming the sidelines, but his absence was not the reason the Saints lost to the previously winless Rams.
"Not having Sean on the sidelines is different," Brees told the Times-Picayune. "But I feel like we have the pieces in place to make up for that."
