When Sean Payton and his staff arrived in New Orleans prior to the 2006 season, he set out to change the franchise in every facet, from the play on the field to the culture in the locker room. He searched for a blueprint, and he found the Patriots. Ever since he became a head coach, he has tried to shape the franchise in the same fashion Bill Belichick used in New England.

“You look to duplicate, or try to duplicate," Payton said. "You spend more time talking about doing all the right things and trying to pay close attention to what New England has done as an organization. Certainly, they have been at the forefront of our league. If you were in business, it would be silly not to pay attention to how they’ve been successful, their formula and their recipe.

"When we came in in ’06, we tried to begin to change a culture. We’ve got all the film at our disposal. We spent a lot of time looking at the top teams, not just offensively, but on defense and the kicking game. They’re an organization that has done a lot of things well over a long time, and we pay close attention to each year.”