What was Sean Payton thinking?
What was Jon Gruden thinking?
In an eventful Week 16 that culminated with a first-round draft pick going from maskless to jobless and the New England Patriots getting swept for the first time in 20 years, two of the NFL’s most seasoned coaches made decisions that had football fans scratching their heads.
Let’s start with:
PAYTON’S PLAN
On Christmas night, Saints running back Alvin Kamara tied a 91-year-old NFL record by rushing for six touchdowns in a 52-33 wipeout of the Minnesota Vikings.
He was denied a shot at a seventh score not by Minnesota’s matador defense but by Payton, who sent in backup QB Taysom Hill on third-and-goal from the 1 with 4 minutes left after Kamara had already scored five TDs.
Given another chance after the 2-minute warning, Payton called Kamara’s number on first-and-goal from the 3 and Kamara scored his sixth touchdown, equaling Hall of Fame fullback Ernie Nevers’ mark set on Thanksgiving Day in 1929.