A day after owner Gayle Benson called the New Orleans Saints’ 1-4 start “not acceptable,” head coach Kellen Moore and quarterback Tyler Shough said Wednesday that the message matches what the building already expects of itself. Benson’s full remarks.
New Orleans has lost three straight, all at the Caesars Superdome, after opening the season with a road win in Baltimore. The Saints visit the 3-1-1 New York Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Moore: “We all want the same thing”
Moore, whose name Benson put front and center at Tuesday’s Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club luncheon, said the owner’s frustration is shared inside the facility.
“We’ve got great guys in this building that are doing everything they can to find a formula. All we can control moving forward is playing better, coaching better, giving ourself the opportunities moving forward. I think our guys have the right mindset. It’s the NFL, there’s ups and there’s downs, it’s about navigating those and getting better moving forward.”
“We all want the same thing. We’re all shooting for that, we’ve all got the same objectives. We’ve just got to get better moving forward.”
Shough: “Fully expected”
Shough said nobody in the locker room was surprised by Benson’s words, and he welcomed them.
“More than anything, it’s fully expected. We want to have that expectation of us as an organization. It starts with her and her leadership and who she is, and she wants the greatest for all of the Gulf Coast and the Saints.”
“I’m glad it’s coming from the top from that perspective, but at the same time, there’s a lot of really good football ahead of us and we can take advantage of that. We want to make sure that she is proud of us and we can do everything we can that way.”
Moore and Shough’s full Wednesday media availability, from the Saints’ official channel:
Where the roster stands
Shough (left hand) practiced fully on Wednesday. Receiver Chris Olave (illness), linebacker Kaden Elliss (calf), edge Anfernee Jennings (knee) and defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd (illness) did not practice; running back Alvin Kamara (back), edge Tyree Wilson (ankle) and defensive linemen Vernon Broughton (illness) and Colby Wooden (toe) were limited. Wednesday injury report.
Long snapper Zach Wood returned to practice from injured reserve, a day after the club cut Cal Adomitis, and receiver Kevin Austin Jr. and running back Jarquez Hunter joined the practice squad. This week’s roster moves.
What’s next
Saints at Giants kicks off Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. ET (noon CT) on FOX. Jameis Winston faces his former team for New York. Winston on the Saints. New Orleans then meets Pittsburgh at Stade de France on October 25 in the NFL’s first regular-season game in France. Paris countdown.
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