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Defense moves fast to establish itself

Unit's speed helps it stymie offense during scrimmage


Sunday August 03, 2003


By Jeff Duncan
Staff writer


LAFAYETTE -- Amid the hodgepodge of plays and the helter-skelter bodies that annually comprises the Black and Gold scrimmage, one thing stood out Saturday night for the Saints: speed.

For the first time in years, that most precious of athletic commodities is no longer confined solely to the offense.

The amped-up defense has been the buzz of the locker room since the Saints opened training camp a week ago at their home training facility. Saints fans got to see the new-look unit for the first time in live action at Cajun Field.

It might be a long way from the Dome Patrol, but the new-

look defense is starting to come together for Saints coach Jim Haslett and defensive coordinator Rick Venturi.

To the delight of a raucous crowd of 18,036, the defense dominated the controlled 54-play scrimmage, registering four sacks and a fumble recovery and allowing five first downs.

"I thought the defense was outstanding," Haslett said. "You could see the speed on defense from the starters. That's what impressed me the most."

Venturi liked what he saw from a starting unit that includes seven new starters and one other player at a new position. There were few missed tackles, and the speed to the football was noticeably better than a year ago.

The speed was most evident up front, where the line and linebackers combined to collapse the pocket and consistently pressure the quarterback. Defensive ends Darren Howard, Charles Grant and Greg White each had a sack, as did linebacker James Allen on a blitz.

Reserve cornerback Keyuo Craver led a solid night by the secondary with a pair of pass deflections in coverage.

"We played real football tonight, that's for sure," Venturi said. "We got a chance to finish plays. We had an opportunity to look at the film, and it was a pretty solid start. The biggest thing was you didn't see a lot of big plays out there. If we can do that as the season progresses, then hopefully we'll have enough talent to make a few of our own."

The offense worked without five starters, who were held out because of minor injuries: wide receiver Joe Horn, running back Deuce McAllister and three linemen -- LeCharles Bentley, Jerry Fontenot and Wayne Gandy.

The attrition took its toll on production. Receivers dropped six passes. Reserve running back Walt Williams lost a fumble. The makeshift offensive line struggled to protect the quarterback.

The highlights were limited mostly to the reserves. Quarterback Tory Woodbury, who is competing with J.T. O'Sullivan for the No. 3 position, displayed a strong right arm and the athleticism that allowed him to play receiver with the New York Jets. Williams and fellow backup running back Curtis Keaton each had nifty runs.

"Obviously, you'd like to have more production," offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy said. "This was a good opportunity for us to see where we are at. I called plays tonight to evaluate players. Our drives were not productive, but we'll be fine. We've just got a lot of work to do."

At this point in camp, Haslett said his team is ready for an exhibition game. They'll get that opportunity Aug. 11 against Philadelphia at the Superdome.

"We've still got to figure out who's the backup running back, and there's a few starting jobs open," Haslett said. "There are a lot of questions that have to be answered, but that will play out in these preseason games. But I'm happy with the start so far."

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Jeff Duncan can be reached at jduncan@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3405.


[Edited on 8/3/2003 by saint5221]