RailBoss

The real field general was Sharper, Vilma is good but I think DS had that extra ability to keep the seems glued a little tighter. Just my opinion though.

Danno

I think you nailed all their negatives pretty well. But they all have some positives too.

Franklin has played well the last few games
Galette is unpolished but looks to have all the tools to be a good NFL RDE
Ellis has his moments, will play better as a true 3-tech
Jordan has developed much faster than I thought and looks to have a bright future
Johnson looks like a great #2 3-tech in a 4 man rotation
Casillas is playing too fast, which can be corrected with more coaching
Martez is raw, but has more star potential than any player on this team

There are some bright spots there, just not enough yet.

biloxi-indian

It also might help if the CB's were not playing off the receiver 10-15 yds!

RaginCajun83

Agreed, what has Brandon Lloyd done that deserves a 10 yard cushion? Reminds me of the Packers game.... why is GW bringing back the sins of Gary Gibbs? This team actually has corners now let them play some bump and run

Agree about Sharper, without him this defense has lost its swagger, seems that the defense lost heart too

saintsfan1976

I wasn't feeling positive...

Thanks, Sunshine.

pherein

Interesting..

New Orleans – Three Performances of Note

Vulnerability at middle linebacker

At some point a consistent vulnerability, such as that which the Saints have at middle linebacker with Jonathan Vilma (-3.7 run defense), has to be exposed. This Sunday was that day. This marked the ninth straight game in which Vilma has graded negatively as a run defender and though he managed not to miss a tackle for the third straight week he is a clear Achilles heel for this defense. The improved play of the likes of Sedrick Ellis has masked his poor form so far this season, but with the Saints’ defensive line failing to make a consistent impact in run defense Vilma’s poor angles and inability to shed blocks was brought in to sharp focus. Vilma’s touchdown may be his headline play from this game but dig a little deeper and you find a very poor performance. Vilma was neutralized effectively four times at the second level, with no play exhibiting his struggles in diagnosing plays better than at 3:59 of Q1 when he took off after a fullback in the right flat on a pass route rather than staying home and defending a run that was cut into the area he vacated in the defense. Poor show.



Return to NFC West brings a return to form

When the New Orleans Saints signed Aubrayo Franklin (+2.4) they thought they’d be getting the stout run defender who became one of the premier nose tackles in the NFL over the past few seasons in San Francisco. Up to this week his returns on their investment had been somewhat inconsistent and he has been overshadowed by Shaun Rogers and Sedrick Ellis. This week, against a familiar NFC West opponent, he came to the fore and showed the form the Saints expect from him registering two defensive stops in 14 snaps in run defense. Only Franklin’s limited snaps prevented him having more of an impact on the Rams’ running game.



Run blocking worries

Two seasons ago the Saints’ had one of the best run blocking lines in the NFL. Last season things started to fall away into inconsistency, and that steady decline continued this season and into this week 8 loss to the Rams. Four of the Saints’ starters graded negatively with their run blocking this week and of particular concern must be the performance of Carl Nicks (-3.1 run blocking this week). When the Saints were at their best they thrived on balance in their offense with the running game just as dangerous as the passing game. If they are to return to their best the Saints’ offensive line must return to form to allow the Saints to run the ball more than the 20 carries they managed this week.



Re-Focused: Saints @ Rams, Week 8 | ProFootballFocus.com

Saints proved that pigs could fly in 2009.
Now its time for another miracle SuperBowl and go where no pig has gone before.

xan

We don't have linemen that can win an unassisted battle, and no linebacker has the speed or skill to integrate into a complex coverage scheme. An none of them could fake an orgasm, much less disguise a coverage.

So, upshot here, not going to get an effective 3-4 this season. Maybe if we get 4-5 different players with more skills...

I agree that the corners actually need to cover, not be somewhere in the same area code at the snap.

strato

I have to disagree with the speed at LB...we have plenty enough speed at the position...they just aren't the starters...and as was stated Franklin shined in the 3-4 in San Fran..Rogers should at 350...he should command double teams like he did at Texas...

All im saying... and you can all agree to disagree is that we need to try and shake things up with some of our personnel..

Whether we have the right guys are not..it cant be worse...does that satisfy the G.W haters ..the our D sux crowd?.. I want G.W to think like that to..always looks for an edge...

pherein

I dont hate GW strato, so you know. I want him to stay, but I think sometimes he's to smart for his own good. He plays with personal to much, last year we were ranked 7th this year 25th. so we do kind of suck,lol.

I just want last years defense back. I want him to back peddle, and say, " OH, ok that didn't work".

strato

I think he sticks with the personnel too much...thats the problem...He has ran a 4-3 throughout his coaching career....with some 3-4 alignments thrown in..this thread was really a hypothetical one anyway...

just to see if others thought a 3-4 might create an ability to stop the run better..by containing with 4 LBs instead of three..and a chance to get Shanle off the field...