Sean Payton and the Saints are done complaining about the no-call that contributed to New Orleans losing the NFC Championship Game to the Los Angeles Rams. Payton made that clear during an interview with NFL.com's Michael Silver ahead of this Sunday's showdown between the Saints and Rams from L.A. Payton's quotes to Silver did reveal his on-going frustration with the missed pass interference call that denied the Saints the opportunity to milk the game clock before attempting a game-winning field goal. I

Instead of that scenario playing out, the Saints instead had to settle for a field goal before allowing the Rams to kick the game-tying field goal that sent the game into overtime, a game Los Angeles eventually won. 

"It was probably one of the worst mistakes in the history of officiating," said Payton, a member of the league's Competition Committee who helped implement the new rule that allows coaches to challenge potential missed pass interference calls. "In the league meetings, there's enough smart guys in that room -- 32 owners, coaches, GMs -- that sit in there and (say) let's agree that if you don't do a thing, then you essentially say, 'Hey, the next Katrina that comes, it's going to flood, and why would you expect different results?' And if you're comfortable with that, then, OK. But, I mean, in other words, that can't happen again."

Drew Brees, Payton's quarterback throughout his 13 years in New Orleans, also struggled to come to grips with how his team's 2018 season ended. Instead of appearing in his second Super Bowl, Brees instead was forced to watch the Rams celebrate their Super Bowl berth on his home tuft. 

"I think everybody was in a pretty deep depression there for a while -- which is understandable," Brees recalled. "It's probably one of the worst feelings I've ever had as an athlete. We'll just leave it at that. Does that sting ever really go away? No, I don't think so. I mean, there are defining moments throughout my career that just torment me a little bit, but it's also what drives me. And unfortunately, that heartbreak is just part of the process at times."

While nothing can alter what took place this past January, the Saints can control what happens this Sunday at the Los Angeles Coliseum, as New Orleans looks to make an early statement with regard to their place on the NFL food chain. The Saints' offense looked up to the task on their season-opener, amassing over 500 yards in a two-point victory over the visiting Houston Texans. The Rams, like the Saints, relied on their offense to outlast the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, with Los Angeles' rushing attack churning out 166 yards and two scores on 32 carries. 

At 40 years old, Brees isn't wasting time looking back. Instead, he's focused on this season and the opportunities that lie ahead of him and his team. 

"I mean, listen -- I could sit here for an hour and talk about just how devastating it was," Brees said earlier this summer. "And yet, is there anything I can do about it? There's not a darn thing I can do about it. And so, if I allow it to prevent me from moving forward, to accomplishing what I feel like is out there to still accomplish -- shame on me.

"So, I'm not going to let that happen. I'll try to use it as fuel for something more positive, just like we did the year before with the Minnesota deal, and you move on."