Saints' Sean Payton regrets calling fake punt against Cowboys

With the New Orleans Saints trailing the Dallas Cowboys 31-17 in the fourth quarter on Sunday night and 7:45 left to play, Saints head coach Sean Payton called a fake punt. The play failed miserably, and effectively sealed the win for the Cowboys.

After the game, Payton said he re-thought his decision.

"It’s something we’d had up for a while. Even versus their 'safe' look, it was something we thought would have a chance," Payton said, via ESPN.

"There was some misdirection involved. They played it pretty well. Hindsight probably was 20-20. I had kind of gone back and forth with it. It was on the hash mark we wanted, and they covered it pretty well." 

Saints punter Thomas Morstead said the team had been practicing the play for days, but the Cowboys just weren't fooled.

"No one was open, so I didn't throw it," Morstead said. "I think they had three guys covering the two that were options for me to throw to, and I just didn't feel like it was there. I decided instead of going 0-for-1 with an interception, I'd try to extend the play, and it just didn't work." 

Saints kicker Shayne Graham also missed a 41-yard field goal, his first miss of the season, so it was a bad day all around for Saints special-teamers.