Head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton, has already had to overcome quite a bit of adversity only weeks into the NFL season. From a hurricane displacing the team, to coaches being out, to injured star players, Coach Payton has put himself in the running for coach-of-the-year with the way he has handled the adversity of the season thus far.

Sean Payton
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
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The New Orleans Saints had the biggest win of Week 1 and quickly jumped up on everyone's list of Super Bowl contenders. A ton of the credit for that success goes to the head coach, Sean Payton, although the short road has been quite bumpy so far this season.

The Southeastern portion of Louisiana, including New Orleans, was devastated by the effects of Hurricane Ida. The aftermath of that storm is still being felt by many across Louisiana, but the resilient people of South Louisiana are once again picking up the pieces in an effort to come back stronger.

Hurricane Ida Makes Landfall In Louisiana Leaving Devastation In Its Wake
Brandon Bell
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The New Orleans Saints have shown they are as resilient as the people of Louisiana throughout the start of this NFL season. The team has been displaced from the Caesars Superdome since before Ida's arrival. Thankfully, that hiatus from the Dome will soon be coming to an end.

See the report from @nick_underhill via Twitter below.

Dome, sweet Dome. The Saints are coming home.

Being back in New Orleans will definitely be a massive relief to Coach Payton and the entire Saints organization. It will also be huge for the people of Louisiana who not only missed out on a Week 1 home game, but also miss having the guys here in The Boot.

While Coach Payton will have the comfort of his own pillow to sleep on soon, the coming weeks will be anything but comfortable for the Saints who face a multitude of obstacles.

Green Bay Packers v New Orleans Saints
James Gilbert
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One major obstacle the head coach has faced this week has been running the show without his cast of coaches to assist him. Half of the Saints offensive coaching staff has been out on the COVID list, leaving a plethora of responsibilities on Coach Payton.

While Payton has had to pick up what his fellow coaches would normally cover, the Saints players have raved about the job he has done throughout this week.

See what QB-1 Jameis Winston had to say about Sean Payton running a film session via @Amie_Just on Twitter below.

Not only has the coach impressed in team meetings, players are saying that Coach Payton has been an absolute beast on the practice field as well.

Check out what Terron Armstead had to say about Payton embracing this challenge via @Saints on Twitter here.

If you have never seen a football practice in-person, it is organized chaos. NFL teams such as the Saints do it better than anyone else, but there is a lot to get done in order to prepare for a game.

Position coaches are especially vital in preparing their group and for New Orleans to be without so many offensive coaches this week, most of that responsibility has fallen on the head coach as the team travels to face the Carolina Panthers.

Coach Payton has taken the challenge of being without six coaches and made it feel like a non-factor for a team that is looking to stay as hot as they started. Payton's years of experience are proving to be important during an especially tough week.

Unfortunately, Payton will have to pick-up the slack on game-day as well according to this @Saints Tweet.

If a hurricane and lack of staff wasn't enough to deal with, Payton also has a coach's worst nightmare on his hands - injuries. Of course, star wide-receiver Michael Thomas has been out on the IR since the season started as he works back from an offseason surgery.

Other than being without Thomas and kicker Will Lutz, the Saints were healthier than ever before Week 1. But a 35-point victory over Green Bay came at a cost.

See the report on the latest injured Saints via @FieldYates on Twitter below.

A massive blow to the Saints defense, as Kwon Alexander and Marcus Davenport have both hit the IR. That puts them out for a minimum of three games. Throw in Marcus Lattimore, who is currently a game-time-decision after having thumb surgery, and the rock-solid Saints defense just got a little bit softer.

But, Coach Payton has a defense with depth and will surely look for guys to step up in big ways while these stars recover. Just another bump in the road that the veteran play-caller will surely embrace.

Listen - Sean Payton is as competitive and smart of a football coach as I have ever seen. He is not going to allow a hurricane, COVID, or injuries stop him from leading this New Orleans Saints on a run at the Super Bowl. We have already seen him prove that this early in the 2021 season.

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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That is why Coach Payton should be atop everyone's list for coach-of-the-year type accolades before the Saints have played their second game. Surely, the #WhoDatNation will look back from a 2022 Super Bowl victory at the start of the season when Sean Payton handled every obstacle thrown at him like the professional he is.

Who Dat!

Oh by the way - does winning the 'Ultimate Who Dat Saints Experience' sound like something you'd be into? If so, click HERE to find out more.

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