New Orleans saints head coach Sean Payton appreciates the impact his home crowd can make inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and he’s doing all he can to inspire their support again this week. And it isn’t the first time he’s gone out of his way to compliment — and challenge — the rowdy Who Dat Nation; back in October, Payton suggested fans would wake up easier with help from a Bloody Mary cocktail on their way to a noon kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals. He’s driving that point home again ahead of Sunday’s game with the San Francisco 49ers.
“We think about a lot of things, we think about everything, is it going to be loud, can we be louder?” Payton said during his Thursday media availability before Saints practice. “It’s going to be a noon game. Does the crowd realize how much of an impact they can have. Do they truly realize that?”
However, the visiting team isn’t quite so mindful of the crowd. 49ers running back Raheem Mostert has been impressed by how well fans have traveled this season for road games with teams lacking homefield support, like the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins, and Los Angeles Rams. He’s said he expects Sunday’s game in the Superdome to feel like a neutral site game.
We’ll see how that works out for him. If Payton gets his way and Saints fans turn out in droves even with a midday kickoff, there shouldn’t be any doubt by the time the final whistle calls.
