MINUTES BEFORE THE SAINTS KICKED OFF AT WASHINGTON, THE TEAM ANNOUNCED THE SIGNING OF HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON TO A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION.
REPORTEDLY: ONLY A HANDFUL OF NFL HEAD COACHES, ALL WHO HAVE COACHED A TEAM TO THE SUPER BOWL, EARN MORE THAN SEAN PAYTON.
WHEN THE NEWS BROKE: I ASKED , WHY?
SEAN PAYTON TOOK THE SAINTS TO A PLACE THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN BEFORE, BUT SINCE THE SAINTS 5-1 START IN OH SIX, THE TEAM HAS WON ONLY 13 OF ITS LAST 28 REGULAR SEASON GAMES. NOT EXACTLY A GLOWING RESUME'.
SEAN PAYTON MAY BE A GREAT HEAD COACH: BUT, WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET. SEAN PAYTON MAY BE A SOLID TALENT EVALUATOR, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET, EITHER.
THIS I DO KNOW: IF PAYTON COACHED THE SAINTS TO PLAYOFFS THIS SEASON, THEN ITS TIME TO RE -DO HIS CONTRACT.
SAINTS OWNER TOM BENSON HAS EXTENDED COACHES BEFORE: THE MIKE DITKA EXTENSION WAS MINDBOGGLING, THE JIM HASLETT ONE, CURIOUS.
THIS ONE? PREMATURE. SEAN PAYTON'S RECORD AS SAINTS COACH IS 18 WINS, 16 LOSSES.
SOLID, BUT HARDLY SCINTILLATING.