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Defense a big concern for the Saints
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 | Print Entry
Adam Schefter answers readers' questions nearly every day in his blog. On Tuesday, Adam is answering questions about the New Orleans Saints, who are one step away from the Super Bowl. Have a query of your own? Submit it here.

Q: The Saints' defense is supremely overrated. Yeah, they've got some opportunistic corners, but they don't pressure the quarterback nearly as well as a championship-caliber D should. Can they expect to go the rest of the way winning shootouts?

--Joey (Miami)

A: Here's what concerns me about New Orleans D, Joey. This season, it ranked 20th in the league in scoring defense -- and this was with playing with a lead much of the time. No question it is vulnerable. But as you pointed out, it also is opportunistic, and it has managed to make big plays when needed. The rest of the way is no longer such a long way to go with this team -- It's 60 minutes from the NFC Championship and 60 minutes from the world championship. New Orleans is good enough on offense that it can win it all, even with a defense that is, as you claim, "supremely overrated."

Q: Reggie Bush just made me remember why I was so excited to have him come to New Orleans in the first place. After a game like that, and especially against the Vikings, do you think Sean Payton's going to try and find a way to get the ball to him more on the edges instead of pounding the ball with Bell and Thomas?

-- Wes (Baton Rouge)

A: Looks like that would be a wise strategy, right Wes? Bush was as electric as he has been since he entered the NFL on Saturday, and he showed some real power too. Something tells me he would do some real damage as a slot receiver. But as long as the ball is in his hands, good things usually happen. Some people suspected that Saints coach Sean Payton wouldn't have minded moving on without Bush at some point next year. But Bush has shown this season he is a speedy weapon -- and teams in this league need speedy weapons to win.

Q: New Orleans' offensive line isn't any better than the Dallas line, so will there be anything stopping Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams from being in the backfield all day on Sunday?

-- Gene (Odessa, Texas)

A: Yeah, Gene, three-step drops and quick releases. Romo isn't an easy quarterback to sack, and Minnesota found its way to him. The Vikings are going to have to do the same thing with Drew Brees. But quarterbacks such as Brees and Peyton Manning are so smart with the football, so quick to get rid of it, so tough to sack, that it's not so much getting the sacks as it is getting the pressure. That's the key -- unnerving these quarterbacks as much as they can. And it won't be all about Allen and the Williamses. Ray Edwards played pretty well on Sunday. Minnesota will need all of them again this week.

Q: Who do you think has the upper hand in the Darren Sharper-Brett Favre battle? They played with and against each other for so long, you have to think they'd know all the ins and outs of each other's game.

-- Austin (Fairview, Tenn.)

A: Sure do, Austin. It's a great matchup. The Packers thought each player was too old at one point or another. How'd that work out? Both players have been instrumental in their teams' success this season. It poses a great matchup. Don't know who holds the edge, but know that one of them is going to make a key play or two to help his team win the game.

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