Sean Payton has said that the New Orleans Saints have done nothing different this year in their preparations for the regular season.

The head coach is back in charge of the team, having spent last year suspended for his role in the bounty scandal.

Payton told reporters: "I don't know that we did anything different. The first game of the season always provides you with an additional day on Monday for most teams. Schedules can vary.

"I think we try and pay attention to where we are at that time, in other words, on paper, in the spring when we map out the calendar, it might be one thing, but as you get closer, you might adjust it. It's one of those things.

"We try to look closely at how much time do we need, do we feel like we want to be in full pads or half pads, those kind of decisions. Overall, I think the schedule is something that we kind of stuck to over the years."

The Saints play the Atlanta Falcons tomorrow.