Saints’ Sean Payton doesn’t see same Giants team from last season

Last season’s highly entertaining 52-49 game between the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants went down as one of the highest scoring affairs in NFL history. Both sides were able to move the ball with ease, and the momentum shifted back and forth between the two clubs. Naturally, one would think we’re in for another duel between quarterbacks Eli Manning and Drew Brees.

Then again, maybe not. From his Wednesday press conference, head coach Sean Payton doesn’t see the same 2015 squad.

The improved defense

“It is a different defense, (Olivier) Vernon has added a big dimension to them. (Jason) Pierre-Paul is back and is playing a little bit more over on our right side now. He (Pierre-Paul) was not available when we played him last. It is an entirely different groups not just the front, you can go outside at the cornerback position, and they have had changes. I think overall, in last week’s games both defenses played well. It was a low scoring game and I think the tackling is what stood out.”

On the Giants wide receivers - Sterling Shepard, Odell Beckham, Victor Cruz

“They’re all smart with good hands and hips. These guys are sudden route runners. Victor Cruz is obviously coming back off of a season away and he is a very smart savvy player. Beckham is very fluid and someone that is extremely explosive and obviously the young player out of Oklahoma everyone felt coming in he was going to be a real good player, especially in the slot.”

What they’re looking for out of the Giants offense

“I think some of the things that Eli (Manning) does and the coaching staff does is they kind of get an early read on what you are in defensively and then they try and attack it appropriately. There are some sequences when they come up/huddle up and get to the line of scrimmage and run a play they want to run and then there are some sequences obviously, that happen at the line with no huddle, be it through a shift or a motion, they use some keys to try to understand man or zone and how they want to play that play. We have got to be good with the disguise. We have to be good holding our looks. Certainly, we have to be able to fit the run and understand what comes off of it.”

Payton added that the Giants offense will run a good bit of no huddle, and their tight end can shift out of the backfield back to the contact at the line of scrimmage. Payton say the Saints defense can expect to see a lot of zone schemes with a few guard pulls.