Is the Saints defense getting better?
 

How good does the Saints defense need to be?

I've seen some improvement in the Saints run defense as of late. If we learn how to catch an inteception, the Saints could become scary. Still, we don't have many/any difference makers on defense.

But I do see hope based on what I saw in the 1st half of the Sunday night game. Was I imagining something or did you see it too. Our defense played pretty good in the 1st half.

Look, I know the Saints defense is still swiss cheese, but... Vilma is back, Jenkins is looking better, Greer is a stud, Harper is looking better than most on this board are willing to give the dude credit. The DT are plugging running holes. Shanle is playing well. Robinson seems to be the main question as of late.

But the question remains... how good do they have to be anyway since no team has it all. It looks like the trend in the NFL right now appears to be with the great offenses like Green Bay, New England and to a lesser extent Alanta, Dallas, Detroit and San Fransico. Considering our offense can play with anybody, is our defense any better than these teams?

Right now I believe GW looks to force a quick 3 and out or the Saints allow the other team to drive down and kick a field goal (maybe a TD). With one of the best offenses in league history, is this all you have to do assuming Brees doesn't have a bad day?

Our improved 4 headed running game is a huge improvement over other years and the guys don't fumble. The Saints are extremely healthy and we are only thin at TE.

So at this point... how do the Saints improve defensively? ;)

the double cover schemes worked well, but I was amazed Stafford was not finding even MORE wide open receivers. Sending 6,7,8 guys just does not work for us. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Harper run into a LB or lineman, taking himslef or two defenders out of the play

In the first half we were vanilla and effective. In the second GW started the pick-a-blitz-out-of-a-hat routine and we got lit up.

...to answer your question: K.I.S.S

Well, I was hoping to see Johnny Patrick instead of Patrick Robinson in these situationfaces. Let's face it Robinson getting smoked like fred thomas out there. The D is getting better. I still contest that if we make it to that NFC championship game we will outlast Green Bay. There D gives up just as much as ours does. Jenkins balled yesterday and that is a hell of a sign that good things are coming. Good test coming up outdoors in Tennesse I think that will be the gage as to if we can go outdoors and put it on a team like we do in the dome. A good chance for us to get our hands on Hassleback as well.

Improved? Yes. I saw improvements. Not sure if things are beginning to click or what but QB's are clearly rattled.

We don't have to be dominant on D with the offense we have. Just ask Green Bay.

I dont think a defense that gave up 400 yds passing is getting better. pass coverage was terrible.

Good news is we have one of the best offenses of all time and they can carry us.

Our D wont be enough in the playoffs, maybe against San Fran, but we dont go into GB and beat them...no way, they will shred us like they did last time...wheeew, got my negativeness out of me just now...I feel better.

Yea but a lot of those yards are junk yards and are meaningless in the scope of the game. :)

Junk yards bother me.... Play till the clock hits 0:00
If we had beaten St Louis then maybe junk yards wouldn't bother me, if we had beat Seattle.... same

If they don't get better and better fast will be in a shoot out in every game the SAINTS play.

Well that would be strange because everyone is stopping their offense...

They shred everyone. If Colston doesn't fumble that ball we might have beat them the first time.

We're a "capitalized" turnover or two away from being a solid defense. The opportunities are there... we must take advantage of them.

tackle better & get rid of the stone hands & catch a frippen INT when it hits you directly in the hands/chest!!

The defense has played with more fire as of late, more big hits and solid tackling, couple more sacks added on but the dropped picks are just mind numbing, when you see the ball flying to one of our guys you get your hopes up, maybe thinking pick 6 time, but it hits the turf, everytime.
I like our run D, they has definitely played better in that area, just need to start catching those int opportunities.
Although green bays D is nothing special ( we put numbers up on them in week 1) they take advantage of those opportunities, they catch the ints

The defense is getting better.
Both Greer and Porter got their laces tangled on plays, but that happens from time to time.
Saints are tackling better and that's going to go a long way Sunday against Chris Johnson.
Even when we sent 7, we didn't get much pressure on the QB.
Seems to me, if we're not getting to the QB anyway, we may as well stay back and get coverage sacks.
We still need better play from our front 4.

Attachment 3775

I'm still not impressed. I think Gregg tries to think too much. He's getting too complex with his schemes from game to game. I think that may be why we keep seeing confusion and guys out of position and blown assignments.

It probably also explains why very few rookies step right in and play. Its like going straight from Algebra to Differential Equations.

The front 4 is playing better, the lb.'s also, now to the secondary, the Lions just exposed them and give every team that has a qb. that can throw deep accurately a blueprint that if we don't fix and fix quickly we are going to be in trouble. All season I've said our secondary has played well and they did until they were challenged deep that many times against the Lions, they looked like crap even in double. My question is " How does a receiver get passed you time and time again if you know they are going to throw deep." Someone had better fix this because if we make the playoffs { and I hope we do} then these teams will toarch us with the deep ball and to me that is second worst ways to lose.

Diffy Q ... it's not hard at all ....

That reminds me of Jim Finks always talking about football IQ and that the team needed to get smarter. Are the Saints smarter after having won a Super Bowl?

Better yes, where they need to be no. Still give up huge chunks with blown coverages and still playing too deep on 3rd downs.

I wouldn't say they are getting better, but they don't look as bad as earlier in the season. Especially the way our middle is attacked.

Discipline. P-Rob bit on playaction with the long pass but made up for it by blocking the field goal. Our D needs to stay discipline to their assignments and not try to freelance unless they are the only ones left to make the play period. Too many times we bite on the playaction and leave a receiver wide open.

Sure was an enjoyable game the way we got out front and stayed there. Those were the Lions and the haven't been pushovers all season.

Alaska in MS

no no no! lmao do not get me started. but i do like the progress our younger players are showing. OLB needs upgrading big time. Draft looks good this year to add rush DE and OLB.

The only reason they were junk yards is because they squandered them with stupid penalties cost them at least 10 to 14 points.

No we don't need a dominant defense but competent would be nice. Now that the run D is looking decent the pass D is even worse than it was earlier in season.

Here's to hoping that Brees and company are good enough to make up for it. I think they are.

Look, I'll be happy when I stop making jokes about the defense. I watch the game, I tune in intently while watching the Drew Brees show on offense. When the Defense comes on the field, it's a mixed bag and I start talking, drinking, telling jokes etc.

I'm usually waiting for the defense to come off the field to watch the offense again.

If this defense could catch the INT's that hit them in their hands, this would be a completely different story.

I don't have a lot of patience for the lack of "learning" our defense has demonstrated over the last two seasons. It is beyond comprehension as to the reason to play 10-12 yards off any receiver, no matter what the overall call is. In an effort to keep the play in front, we allow all receivers an open lane to their timing pattern. There were no "junk" yards against either the Giant or Lions, as either team had the capacity to win (had they not each found new ways to self destruct). We definitely won those games, but I'm not sure how much we beat them, or they beat themselves, given how they moved the ball at will.

NO SMEGMA DEFENSE