National Football League

Payton: Unselfish receivers boost team passing

Published Dec. 16, 2011 1:34 a.m. ET

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The stereotypical ''diva'' receiver just won't make it in New Orleans' offense.

Drew Brees spreads the ball around too much and often throws to tight ends and running backs as well.

Having been together for five years, the Saints' top four wide receivers know the drill and accept it. And Brees is on record-breaking pace because of it.

''He does a good job of spreading the ball out to all of us, so we have great respect for that and we'll try our best to do whatever we can do to get (the record) and pretty much shatter it,'' receiver Devery Henderson said, referring to Brees' pursuit of the NFL's single-season passing mark.

Dan Marino currently holds the NFL record for most yards passing in a season, which stands at 5,084. He set it with the Miami Dolphins back in 1984, when Saints receivers were either infants or toddlers, too young to remember that season either way.

''It still feels good to be a part of that whole deal,'' Henderson said. Brees ''gets the credit for it, which he deserves. But just to know you're part of that, some of those numbers had something to do with you, is a big deal.''

Brees is currently leading the NFL with an average of 336 yards passing per game, on pace to pass for 5,376 yards, nearly 300 yards more than Marino's mark.

Yet none of the Saints' wide receivers have eye-popping numbers. Marques Colston is the closest to reaching the 1,000-yard mark, with 58 catches for 826 yards and five touchdowns heading into Sunday's game at Minnesota.

Next is Robert Meachem with 493 yards, Lance Moore with 483 and Henderson with 421.

''A lot of the receivers have a similar personality. They're all extremely hard workers. They're all unselfish players, but they're all super-competitive guys deep down. That fire certainly burns in all of them,'' Brees said. ''They've been together for a long time. They all push and motivate each other, even if it's quietly.''

Colston joined Moore and Henderson on the Saints' roster in 2006, then Meachem was drafted in 2007. By 2009, the season the Saints won their first Super Bowl, all four were taking turns having big games.

Saints head coach Sean Payton said his receivers' team-first approach is part of the reason behind the high overall production of a passing game that routinely has been among the best in the NFL the past six seasons.

''It's a group that's unselfish. It's a group that understands that the quarterback is going to look for the player that's open in a certain coverage as opposed to just look at a player,'' Payton said. ''We're fortunate to have those guys. All of them are highly motivated and all of them are highly driven and all of them work extremely hard. I would say the personality of the group is somewhat unusual in that a number of them are fairly humble and maybe even shy.''

Colston may be shier than the others, speaking softly in interviews and never breaking into end zone dances.

When he describes his approach, it's clear his lack of outward expression belies his inner intensity.

''As a receiver you want the ball every play and if you don't, it's not the profession for you,'' Colston began. ''But it really comes down to having the right guys. We have a great group of guys that, it's definitely all about winning and we're close-knit enough that when you see another guy succeed you're genuinely happy for him.''

Payton said his coaching staff's role in keeping all the receivers happy has less to do with the number of passes thrown their way than the plays designed to make each of them primary targets in various situations.

''What's important for us as coaches is to make sure the players realize that they're very involved in what we're thinking about the night before'' a game, Payton said. ''There's been just a ton of examples where all of a sudden Lance is scoring on a play that might have been designed for (running back) Darren (Sproles) or vice versa. That just happens within the framework of the game, but it is important that the player feels like there's been time and energy and effort given to the lines in their part in the script.''

Colston was a year old when Marino set the current single season passing mark. He said all of the receivers are pulling for Brees to break it, no matter who's on the other end of his throws.

''As a receiving corps we collectively take pride in knowing we all had a part of that,'' Colston said. ''Something that historic, a record that has been around for so long, just to be part of that is something special.''

Notes: Saints RB Mark Ingram (turf toe) and LB Jonathan Casillas (right knee), who were both scratched from last weekend's lineup in Tennessee, each missed Thursday's practice. LB Jon Vilma (left knee) and Turk McBride (left ankle) were limited.

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