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Important quotes after the game surround rookie Ian Book

All eyes were on the rookie during and after the game.

NFL: Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Payton

On the loss considering the lack of players due to Covid:

“I think it’s kind of where we are at, to some degree, a little bit as a league. It seemed like, obviously, a lot went on the last week and a half. I thought that our defense battled. We did some positive things in the kicking game. In fairness to Ian (Book), it’s impossible to evaluate his play. Hopefully, we can get a little help here, get some guys back, and be ready to go next week.”

On whether there were discussions with the NFL about postponing the game:

“No, look, I’m not involved in that; that would be Mickey (Loomis), Dennis (Lauscha), or Mrs. B (Gayle Benson). My job is to really focus and prepare, get the players ready to go. That is something that, pretty soon your energy gets wasted. Obviously, we didn’t do a good enough job tonight. It’s frustrating. I’m sure it was frustrating to watch.”

On Ian Book’s preparation:

“I don’t think (it was) preparation (that was the issue). I think that he prepared well. I think that it’s one of the challenges that, sometimes, it can take place, even in the later part of preseason games, where you want to try to evaluate, especially at the quarterback position; but, just keeping him upright tonight was a challenge. I’m sure that there are some plays that we will look at and he’ll look at. The first interception is a throw that he’ll want back. It’s a tough position for him to be in.”

On Ian Book’s mentality:

“He is competitive and tough. He is going to be fine. He’ll be frustrated like all of us with some plays. Certainly, it’s not going to define his growth or his career or what he does. It was one of those kind of perfect storms. We are all anxious to see him. And, yet, it was just a tough spot for him to be in. I think he is smart enough to understand that.”

On the defense:

“I thought they competed. I thought they did a good job. The first set of points was the turnover. At halftime the score was low. I thought they did well. They had some short fields (to defend). Certainly they played well enough for us to be in this game, which we were for a good majority of it. I thought that they battled.”

On the challenges of starting a rookie QB:

“It’s not him getting ready with a few days notice (that is an issue). It’s being able to have some efficiency being able to have some efficiency running the ball when he’s in there, being able to protect a little bit longer when he’s in there. He handled the workweek and understanding what to do. Look, there were some tempo issues in and out of the huddle, but I think it is just having enough where he can have some success. I think that was the bigger challenge for him this week.”

Lil’Jordan Humphrey

On his mindset:

“The mindset going in was know your job and do you job. You just go out there and play to the best of your ability. If you mess up, then mess up at 100 miles per hour. I feel like for the most part that we did that.”

On Ian Book:

“I feel like he handled it well. Perfect. I feel like a lot of people in that situation would be wide eyed. He was poised. He made some mistakes, but that happens. It is what it is. He played well to me.”

Zack Baun

On the week leading up to the game:

“We can’t seem to get away from adversity. As the week went on, you kind of expected more guys to test positive. You just have to roll with the punches and it’s next man up. I got my opportunity and tried to make the most of it.”

On Kwon Alexander:

“I found out that Kwon wasn’t playing yesterday. It was short notice for me, but I was preparing like I was going to be the starter the whole time. Your role changes quickly especially this day and age with Covid and everything else going on. You have to be ready.”

Ian Book

On the game:

“It’s tough playing these last two years with COVID. It’s just something we have to do now. We try to get those guys back as soon as we can and get better as a team. It hits the teams in different weeks. It hit us this week but we’re all here to play football so we have to be ready.”

“It’s tough playing these last two years with COVID. It’s just something we have to do now. We try to get those guys back as soon as we can and get better as a team. It hits the teams in different weeks. It hit us this week but we’re all here to play football so we have to be ready.”

“Personally I have a lot to get better at. Excited to watch the film and get back at the drawing board. We go on the sideline and look at the IPads, there are things in my mind that I already want back. It was good to be out there. I’m evaluating it. It’s bad. We didn’t score a touchdown. We can’t win a game that way.”

“We thought they were going to come out and a play a lot of man and they played zone. They never saw me play, wanted to test my arm and make me throw in certain zones. It was a smart tactic. There were some times they took away some shorter routes I was trying to hit and I just need to move to the next level. There were definitely some of them I could have gotten. There are some other things too, but definitely that first.”

“We had that play (pick six). We had a cover zero beater and were going to work one side of the field versus anything else. They came up in a look that we thought were going to be zero and had a few cover zero checks. They came up in it, thought it was zero, I was going to try and work L.J. (Humphrey). I left it inside and they had that same look but bluffed out and had the corner sit, so I left it inside. I can still complete that or not even throw it since it looks like zero. They got me. They left a gap in between the corner and the safety that I could have left a whole shot.”

“I have to (move on from it), especially at this league and this position. That’s a terrible feeling, having a pick six in your debut. I’ve thrown one pick six in my life so that sucks, that was my second one. That’s not what you want. I don’t have a good answer for you on that one. You need to forget about it and I did. It was a nightmare, went to the sideline and completely got it out of my mind. I forgot about it.”


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