How would you fix the defense?
 

The answers to my last topic on why is the defense so bad/porous, most felt it was coaching, though many respondents felt that we had only two or three players that could start on other teams. Now my question is, besides firing the DC or Haslett, what would it take to fix this defense? Think realistic. What would it take to get this defense up into the middle defensive category?

How would you fix the defense?
 

You took away the best available option. IMHO our talent isn\'t as bad as the defense played ,and frankly has been playing for the last couple of years. So that points to coaching, scheme, and philosophy. It\'s clear the defense has been worse since Bunting and Zook took their college jobs.

How about this as an idea: bring in a consultant. Who is the best defensive mind not working right now? Lure them in with some dollars to tweak the schemes and honestly to coach the coaches.

I mean do you really think that the Cards or the Falcons have significantly better personnel than we do? Why is it then that their defenses seem to play so much better than ours then?

SFIAH

How would you fix the defense?
 

I THINK THAT IS A GREAT IDEA!!!!!!! I KNOW THIS MAY SOUND DUMB BUT I THINK SEDRICK HODGE WILL HELP LIMITING THE RUN WHEN HE RETURNS THIS WEEK.

How would you fix the defense?
 

We\'ve been working on run defense since Glover and Johnson left. I\'m not optimistic about Haslett\'s chances of fixing it.

How would you fix the defense?
 

I think Haslett\'s tenure with the Saints is over. Love the guy, but the defense continues to be terrible, along with out offensive lines inability to be consistent. McKenzie hopefully helps us out some, but the glaring need has been at DT and LB for as long as I can remember. Losing to the Cards is inexcusable, completely. Everyone of those guys that played Sunday should donate their entire check for the week to some charity, b/c they did not deserve any of what they were paid.

How would you fix the defense?
 

Score more points on offense and send in the pass rush ..... ;)

How would you fix the defense?
 

Go to the Nickel as base defense and mix-match personel and blitz from anywheres... I\'d line up the fastest players just out side or DE\'s to blitz from the outside. I\'d even go to a 6-1 Defense, plug those freakin holes already. 3-4, 4-3 so normal. Be a bit more inovative, going to a 6-1 could drop one or 2 off to help cover TE\'s on a slant or hook. Someone is blitzing if not all at least someone is coming and you won\'t know where because they will all be showing at times.

How would you fix the defense?
 

The truth of the matter is that none of this fickleness over players, coaches or plays is going to accomplish anything except the venting of feelings and the expression of mis-informed, ignorant, half-guessing by people who don\'t know football anywhere near the people employed by the Saints orginization.

People hype up Peyton Manning and Brett Farve, but those same people blast them when they have one of their self-destruct 4 interception games. It\'s silly. Those with the fewest facts have the strongest opinions, and there are a lot of strong opinions by Saints fans.

The Saints can\'t get Bill Parcels or Andy Reid. Would it be better to have worse coaching? All of the star coaches are employed. If Aaron Brooks was on another team and we had a piece of monkey poop like Kitna at QB, everyone here would be whining why we can\'t get a QB like Brooks. Everyone\'s running in circles.

Remember, there is only 1 happy team each year. It would be more helpful if all of this energy was focused into supporting our orginization instead of the misinformed analysis.

How would you fix the defense?
 

your points are well taken, but that is the point of this board. To let the uninformed fans as you put it vent their frustration over what is happening with our team. We still support our team 100% (at least I do cant speak for everyone here). That is part of the fun of being a fan. We can bash our team and still support them. I notice this is your first post here. There is a lot of negativity when called for here. Welcome to blackandgold.

How would you fix the defense?
 

Trade it for Jacksonville\'s? Coaches and all... would that work?

How would you fix the defense?
 

Hodge is back and I think we need to go to a 5- 2 that way we stack the line and let every team beat us with the pass and with McKenzie we should have 4 pretty good DB\'s

How would you fix the defense?
 

I wouldn\'t mind seeing the old 5-2 stack. We need it. Just put Rodgers and Watson out there. Wait... do we have 3 DTs capable of starting... oops. What\'s plan B?

How would you fix the defense?
 

Now this is a fun question for a change.

Go a base nickle! Yikes! Like we can stop the run now? Also, which extra DB to you propose, none of the non-starters (except Ambrose, who hopefully will no longer be starting) inspire any confidence at all against the ground game.

I do think having Hodge back will help some.

Here are my suggestions to improve the current defense (if simply getting better coaching and game planning is off the table):
1. Give up on Watson being the full time starter (I think he is great, but he is still raw - he backs into coverage too quickly). Ruff should play in all obvious rushing situations and Watson in all others.

2. Get a good corner. Oh wait, we just got MM. This will help, since it will allow us to bring T-buck closer to the line. Currently, he is playing deep to make up for Thomas\' small stature and Ambrose\'s lack of speed.

3. Do not run stunts on the ends. Our guys are just not getting it done that way. On a related note, Grant and Howard should not play every down like it is a passing down. Howard needs to work harder on his read and react rather than his overwhelming instinct to simply kill the signal caller.

4. Young is way too small. From what I\'ve seen, he just gets pushed around. He will be great on passing downs when he isn\'t required to the job of the guy standing next to him. If Sully suddenly shows up, Young will be solid, until then the fact that whoever is on the inside next to him is going to be purely mediocre (at least so far) and Young will be neutralized. Thus, I think we\'d do just as well with two middle to low talent big bodies than poor Young who is getting his ass kicked because he isn\'t getting any help inside.

5. I think we should run blitz a little more, but not a lot more. People keep saying \"let\'s blitz more\"; we\'re not disrupting the play in the backfield, and I agree, but blitzing is a little more complicated that people make it out to be. Angles, gaps, and positional blitzes are determined by what the goal of the blitz is. Our guys seem to pass blitz all the time. It would be good to see a few more people come every once in awhile, but I\'d like to see a few shallower paths to the ball carrier and fewer delayed blitzes (i.e. more quick fire rushes) - this will stop the run better, even if they are less likely to get to the QB.

Anyway, that is my five step proposal for fixing the Defense - if we\'re not simply allowed to fire the coaches.

What do you guys think? I\'d really love to hear.

[Edited on 7/10/2004 by JKool]