This might be a good time for some fatherly advice.
"It is always challenging to win in our league," Payton said. "You learn about your team and then you quickly go into making the corrections and trying to improve.
Meanwhile, the pass-rushing tandem of end Cameron Jordan and outside linebacker Junior Galette, who combined for 24 1/2 sacks in 2013, got off to a slow start. Ryan said that was because opposing passers have unloaded the ball about a half-second quicker, on average, than a season ago.
Still, with the ever-prolific Drew Brees at quarterback, Payton's offense has annually ranked among the NFL's best, and this season is no different.
Fortunately for New Orleans, no team is running away with the NFC South. New Orleans emerged form Week 5 in second place in the division, one game behind Carolina (3-2), with 11 games still remaining, including two against the Panthers.
"We still need to tackle better, but the energy is there. Guys are playing hard,China Jerseys Cheap," Ryan said. "We want to be a better defense than this and it's just going to keep taking a lot of work."
Payton wanted better results,Wholesale China NFL Jerseys, particularly with a seemingly tougher stretch of games coming up, starting at Detroit in Week 7. Yet the coach said he also wasn't surprised to see a few mistakes turn what could have been a promising start into a less satisfying one.
Incidentally, Ryan's travel plans for the bye week represent a significant departure from last year, when he and his wife went to Key West. This week, Ryan said, he was going to visit his father, Buddy Ryan, who was renowned for his defensive acumen as both a coordinator and head coach.
The Saints' defensive coordinator was a regular at an old, no-frills corner bar in New Orleans' Uptown neighborhood after home victories last season. He'd bask in the adoration of patrons who celebrated his success turning around a defense that had been dismal before his arrival.
The Saints weren't far from being 4-1. In each of their first two games,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys, they lost slim leads inside the final 10 seconds on the road. Each time, the defense couldn't get a stop after both Atlanta and Cleveland began their final possessions of regulation in their own territory.
"That's a big difference," said Ryan, whose unit has six sacks so far.
Coach Sean Payton generally avoids assigning blame to a specific unit or personnel group for disappointing results. Payton said he would like to see the offense, for which he calls plays, help the defense by converting more third downs to extend possessions, and by converting more red-zone opportunities into touchdowns instead of field goals.
"They'll be fine," he added, hopefully. "This is New Orleans. They love the Who Dats."
Yet, during the first five weeks of this season, the performance of Ryan's unit has more often been a source of disillusionment among fans taking to talk radio and social media to vent their frustration.
At 2-3 as they break for their bye, the Saints have so far failed to meet expectations they would improve on their 11-5 record. The 2013 squad posted the franchise's first road playoff victory before falling in Seattle to the eventual Super Bowl champs.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It hasn't been that long since Rob Ryan was the toast of the Big Easy.
The defense ranked fourth in yards allowed in 2013. So far this season,China Adidas Hockey Jerseys, the Saints are allowing nearly 380 yards per game, which ranks 25th, and 28.2 points per game, which ranks 28th.
"I don't blame them for hating me right now," Ryan said recently.
After Week 5,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, New Orleans ranked first in yards per game (442.8) and 10th in points per game (26.4), doing it with balance. Running back Mark Ingram,Cheap China Jerseys, who could return after the bye from a broken hand, averaged 6 yards per carry in the first two games. Khiry Robinson has averaged 5 yards per carry in Ingram's absence and scored an 18-yard touchdown in overtime to beat Tampa Bay.
The addition of three-time Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd, an interception machine when he was with Buffalo, hasn't worked out as hoped. Byrd forced a fumble but had yet to intercept a pass before his season ended with a knee injury in practice on Oct. 2.
"We are still at that early part of the season where it is going to be critical that we continue to make the improvements necessary to catch up and put ourselves in a winn
