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NEW ORLEANS — In the moments after the New Orleans Saints defense looked like the Steel Curtain, Doomsday Defense and Monsters of the Midway wrapped into one neat package Sunday, there was one big question on Curtis Lofton’s mind.

It wasn’t where the stunning performance by his team in an out-of-the-blue 41-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Bucs came from.

The question, Lofton said, was why it took 14 games to see it.

“The frustrating thing is playing the way we did today,” Lofton said before pausing, “and the question you have to ask is, ‘Why couldn’t we play like that all year?’ I don’t know the answer to that.”

At this point, you can file it under the heading of “Unsolved Mysteries.”

Indeed, Sunday’s blanking of the Bucs caused as much head-scratching as the 10 consecutive 400-yard games the Saints defense gave up to start the season and the 45 points they allowed a week earlier in a 52-27 loss to the New York Giants. (One of the touchdowns was on a kickoff return.)

In other words, a shutout was about as unexpected and unforeseen as the beatdown the Giants gave them, considering the Bucs ranked fifth in the NFL at 27.2 points per game.

But, Lofton noted, you can always hope — especially in the down-one-week, up-the-next-week nature of the NFL.

“To get that goose egg, that was a lot of fun,” he said. “As a defense, that’s what you strive for every single game.”

Read more: Mickles: Saints defense flashes its potential | Saints | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

Danno

Its pretty simple. When you stop thinking and start reacting faster good things happen.

EVERYONE in the entire universe knows that Spags system takes a while to grasp.

I'm surprised that anyone is surprised we're looking better as the season progresses.

QBREES9

Ok next year will get them.

papz

You're giving "everyone" too much credit here Danno. Spags should have been fired before he even got started.

Mardigras9

Not sure that is what it is, but if it is in fact that the D-fense has finally caught up to spags scheme, thank goodness!!!!!!

Shoe.

The recent uptick in interceptions and 3-and-outs is no accident

dizzle88

We still need another dominant pass rusher opposite the much improved cam Jordan

Junior galette does a good job when he's healthy but he missed alot of games

Our defense only looks to be some few additions away from being very good

Crusader

There have been flashes of brilliance all season its just lately consistancy has shown up.

TheOak

Considering NFL is a game where 0.25 seconds is the difference between ok and good, and where that same fraction of a second is the difference between an interception or a TD, or a sack or a 40 yard TD pass... No one should be surprised that our defense had to come to a point where is was motor skill and not the thought process..

NOLA54

Can't wait to see how good these guys will be in 2013.