METAIRIE, La. -- For the first time all year, Sean Payton said the New Orleans Saints resembled the team they expected to be this season.

And though it ended with a painful 24-23 loss to the Detroit Lions after blowing a 13-point lead in the final four minutes, Payton said it was important for him to send a positive message to the team on Monday.

"It was the first game we played this year where I felt like there was a markedly different team from the last game, even [compared to a] victory versus Tampa, and how we looked. That's encouraging," Payton said. "And the reason is all we've talked about is that improvement from week to week. You guys [in the media] hear me say it all the time, 'We're in a race to improve.' And I felt like I saw more and we saw more in that game than we had in the prior five, with regards to improvement.

"Now obviously, listen, we're not good enough right now to overcome some of the challenges that took place (including the officiating, which I'll expand on later today after Payton again expressed his frustration Monday). … And we weren't able to finish. But when watching the tape, I'm encouraged with a lot of the improvement that I saw."

Obviously Payton and players acknowledged that they still need to clean up mistakes related to execution and scheme, etc., especially in those final minutes where they've now coughed up three leads this season en route to a 2-4 record.

But Payton's emphasis was more on things like energy, work ethic during the practice week and even that "edge" that had been missing for most of this season.

"I wouldn't come up and tell you guys, ‘Hey, I'll be shocked if we don't play lights out and win this game.' But this would have been a week where I would have said that," Payton said. "And I felt like the preparation leading up to it and the focus, that's the thing that was encouraging. And I felt like it was different. …

"I think it's important that they need to see that. Look, it's frustrating and it's tough when you expend that energy and come off the bye with a good plan and at the very end you still come away empty-handed. That can be very difficult and very frustrating. And yet, I think it's important that they recognize here's some of the things that were different. This is what we saw differently. This is why we resembled a little more of the team we expected for the first time.

"If we continue to make that same progress and improvement, this team will be alright."

Payton said it was "by far" the best game the Saints played defensively, with season-highs of two takeaways and three sacks. But obviously the defense ultimately collapsed with breakdowns on both of Detroit's late touchdown passes (a 73-yarder to Golden Tate on third-and-14 and a 5-yarder to Corey Fuller on third-and-goal).

As a result, the Saints' defensive players seemed torn Monday between that frustration and that encouragement.

Cornerback Keenan Lewis said you can't ever walk away happy after a loss -- whether there was improvement or not. And many other defensive players offered some variation of what linebacker Curtis Lofton said Sunday afternoon: "A loss is a loss, regardless, they all suck and you hate the feeling of them."

At the same time, players stressed that they remain united and focused on continuing to improve after seeing more signs of that improvement Sunday.

"We know we have to finish games, and that's something we will work on this week," Saints end Cameron Jordan said. "When you lose close games like that, it's heartbreaking. When you dominate for three quarters and you end up letting off in the last couple minutes, it completely changes the game. It definitely hurts, and this is a tough game to swallow."

But, Jordan also said, "There were a lot of great things in that game. That's why we're upbeat."