Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints bulldozed the Arizona Cardinals in their final game before the bye week, playing shutdown defense and succeeding in critical situations on offense. The end result was even more lopsided than the 31-9 final score might suggest, with backup Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater kneeling out the clock just yards away from Arizona’s end zone. It was every bit a learning experience for first-year Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury, who made the jump to the NFL after a stint at Texas Tech.
“They have been doing it a long time,” Kingsbury acknowledged, when asked about the sustained success the Saints have had since Payton was hired, way back in 2006.