Saints' Payton laments 1-hand catch 'epidemic'

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton isn't a fan of one of the game's most electrifying trends.

Saints rookie wide receiver Michael Thomas is drawing rave reviews during the preseason, in large part due to his thrilling one-handed catches. Payton noted that securing the ball with one hand is becoming a growing trend, one he'd like to see less of.

"I saw Odell Beckham's mom at the Manning (Passing Academy this summer), and I said, 'Shoot, it's becoming an epidemic now, watching my son play (high school football) and those guys warm up,'" Payton said via ESPN's Mike Triplett.

"And for every one of those (one-handed catches) you're gonna see a number of balls on the ground. The second hand is obviously better. There's not many times where you can only get one hand on the ball. So depending on the play -- and I didn't see it, obviously (on Thursday) - you want to get two hands on the football."

Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said he's been advising Thomas since college.

"Since he's been in college at Ohio State he would always text me, ask me questions about things he could do to help his hands, help his route-running," Hopkins said. "So I've kind of been a mentor to him since he was in college."

Much to Payton's chagrin, it appears one-handed catches are staying for the foreseeable future.