Trick or Treat?
 

Last year the saints defense seemed to try to cover up their weaknesses with trick defenses. What I mean by this is the saints played a lot of elaborate defenses to try to keep opposing offenses guessing. I think this takes away a players athletic talents because they are thinking too much about where they should be instead of making plays. We seemed to play on defense not to lose instead of attacking. I think we have the talent on defense this year to attack. I can remember the great saints defenses of old and wishing the offense could just score some points. Well, too bad we don't have that defense now. Will we be trying to trick opposing offenses this years or will we be treated to a much improved defense this year?

Trick or Treat?
 

I think this year our defense will be as good as our offense, so that on while we\'re on defense the other team doesn\'t score nearly as much as we do on offense.

Trick or Treat?
 

I think the \'trick\' defenses of last year were an attempt to compensate for a poignant team weakness - lack of speed. I read an article earlier today (profootballweekly.com) that touched on it. Venturi knew he had some slower veterans in there (Knight, Jackson, Hand, etc) - tried to compensate with complicated schemes. Figured veteran savvy would help to facilitate it.

That didn\'t work, obviously.

So the plan this year is to simply things. Rely upon simplicity, speed, athleticism, and intuitiveness rather than complexity and misdirection. The acquisitions of Jones, Grant, and Sullivan seem to line up with this model.

Trick or Treat?
 

Using different schemes to \"trick\" teams can work for about 1/2 the season, then other teams start picking up on it and your defense will fade down the stretch,
Oh Wait, Thats exactly what happened last year.

I think Venturi did a good job considering what he had to work with (Slow or inexperienced Players). But he has no excuses this year. They must finish upper 1/2 of the league in D or he\'ll be replaced. IMHO The evil 1999 Rams went from 28th to 3rd in 1 year.

We now have the speed and size to go toe to toe with the best. So they better do just that!

ITS TIME TO BUST SOMEBODY IN DEY MOUTH

Trick or Treat?
 

our defense didn\'t fade sown the stretch, they sucked all year

their best games were the season opener against tampa and the season closer against carolina, there was no fade just a season of suck with a glimmer of hope at the washington game