METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton didn’t give any indication Monday as to whether he intends to make a permanent change at the cornerback position after starter Patrick Robinson was demoted to the nickel back role during Sunday’s 26-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

However, fellow cornerback Keenan Lewis offered a passionate defense of his teammate Monday morning, after Robinson took a brunt of the criticism following the defeat.

“I’m going to root for him until the end. That’s my brother, and I feel he is one of the best in the league,” Lewis said, according to The Times-Picayune.

"A lot of people will sit there and say a ‘bad day,’ but only thing he gave up was 40 yards one time," Lewis said. "You see guys giving up three or four touchdowns a game. It's a part of football. … Look around on Sunday and there guys who caught 200 yards, three touchdowns. What do you say about those type of guys?"

The biggest play Robinson allowed Sunday was a 19-yard pass interference penalty in the first quarter, though he also committed two other costly penalties in the game (one during a Browns' missed field-goal attempt and one during the Browns' final play that included multiple coverage errors).

"Those guys (the Browns) are professionals too, and they made some good plays," Lewis said. "Just to lean on him and say he had a bad game I would say that ain't fair towards him. And as a teammate I think he is one of the best."

Robinson was not available for comment Monday.

Certainly, neither Payton nor any Saints players pinned Sunday’s loss solely on Robinson’s shoulders. They talked at length Monday about several “situational” issues where the Saints made mental errors or had assignment breakdowns in every unit.

However, Robinson was involved in a handful of those for the second straight week. And his miscues were highlighted by the fact that Payton decided to make the in-game switch.

It was reminiscent of when Payton yanked starting left tackle Charles Brown during last season’s loss at St. Louis. And Brown never returned to the lineup.

"Listen, it was just based on those early series," Payton said Monday when asked about the cornerback switch. "He ended up playing in nickel, and Corey [White] has been getting a bunch of snaps in the base. So it’s something I just felt like it was the best thing to do."