Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

The 2012 season hadn’t come to a conclusion before discontented rumblings emerged from New Orleans about defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Those rumblings and the 454 points that the Saints allowed last season combined to make Spagnuolo’s stay in New Orleans a brief one as he was fired after the season and replaced by Rob Ryan. Ryan’s moving the team to a 3-4 base look, but safety Malcolm Jenkins says that the biggest difference from last year goes beyond the way players are deployed near the line of scrimmage.

“They look different from a cultural standpoint. Last year, our defense was missing the teeth that it usually has. We were known as a defense that flew around, got to the ball, forced turnovers and hit people, but we kind of got away from those basics. So those have been just the key points,” Jenkins said, via the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “The defense, getting that down, that’ll come. It’s a multiple defense; guys can move around, play different positions, get after the quarterback. It’s definitely fun in that aspect but we always got back to the basics: flying to the ball, trying to get turnovers, going for the interception, because that’s how we complement our offense.”

Two things come to mind in regard to Jenkins’ comments. The first is that the defense, while clearly better than it was in 2012, was still the biggest reason for the team’s playoff losses in both 2010 and 2011. The slippage last year might have kept them from even making the playoffs, but there were things that needed fixing in the culture of the defense before Spagnuolo even came to town.

The second is that the Saints still outscored their opponents last season despite those 454 points against. Should the Drew Brees-led offense continue to operate at a high level, they don’t need radical improvement in order to wind up with a winning record in 2013.

Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint” | ProFootballTalk

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

You got to love offseason hype. How in the world can someone say this year's D is clearly better than last year's? This year's D has yet to do diddly poo!

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Some funny comments after the article.

"Blah bounty blah crying Vikings fans blah crying FalCants fans."

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

What did last year's defense do?

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Last year's D played games already so we could see how bad they were. This year's D has yet to show how bad it can be.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

I would almost bet my life that it cant be worse.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

I know this sounds familiar, but I hope Ryan teaches some basics like tackling and coverage. Just saying!

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

agree 100%

see this is were it falls apart in my book. Issue were simple before hand. Saints drafted and signed FA to infuse youth into the defense in previous years. that was the issue.

Spags tried to make them into something they were not. only messed up the unit developing more.

yet another writer giving RR an open door to take more credit than he will deserve if the defense just plays as it has in the pass.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

He means the D in 2010 and 2011 was clearly better than 2012 but still at fault for 2 consecutive playoff failures, he hasn't worded it well but if you read through again you will see it lol

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

You can search the entire database of my comments on this siteand not find me say this anywhere...you're right, I read that wrong. I guess I was just expecting that after reading so many comments already this year about how great new players are going to be.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Other than the 2009 version of the Saints D(after 2006) our D stink. This season will be a 3/4 D and there is going to be spots on the field of concern, now in reality if Ryan could get us around a 19th rank D or better, we will be a contender, next season our D should get much,much better. I can live with a 19th rank D but last season was painful to watch, the Del Rio look last season would have went a long way this season I think.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

They key to our def is vaccaro and Lewis. We won in 2009 when we had good secondary play that made turnovers. No turnovers this season means no Super Bowl.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

I do sometime wonder why they hired Spags over Del Rio.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Some people have the gift of blagging their way through interviews/meetings etc

Del Rio would have been the much better choice, lets hope RR is our guy!

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

His comment really needs to be taken in context.

If the old adage "you practice like you play" stands true, Jenkins would know if this years defense looks clearly better than last years did. He actually alludes to that in the previous paragraph.

The most common comments last year about our defense were not playing with the fire from previous years, and not flocking to the ball.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Heads up brother. Our 2009 defense was not good either. We were 25th.

Sharpers turnovers were what made that defense tolerable.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

And the fact that teams would not throw deep knowing that Sharper was there, meaning that Porter and Greer had alot more opportunities to jump the short routes

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Which illustrates how only one player can change a defense.

I've never bought the argument that we had no talent on defense. We lacked a difference maker (maybe two), like a Sharper.

I'm hoping Vacarro, Lewis, Galette, Wilson, Hicks, or Jenkins step up and make a difference.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

What if I told you Sharper would have been out of place as often as Jenkins or Harper with Spagnuolo's defense?

Attachment 7209

What if I told you Sharper would have been burnt as often as Jenkins or Harper with Spagnuolo's defense that didn't get pressure on the QB.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Hahahaha! You're killin' me!

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

nah 2009 was not that good overall. BUI they had a nack for getting turnovers at key times in a game. in that department they were one of the best.

since 2009 the saints have been trying to bring in youth and well they have not done such a great job in the draft.

Del Rio was my target of desire for the saints. i wanted him to come home lol

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

You'n me both buddy. I kind of hope we went after him and he turned us down not wanting to deal with all the garbage being slung at us. I just don't want to look at the possibility Spags was our first choice, seeing things in the rear view mirror and all.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Sharper was the man. He lined up the secondary to a tee, no matter how the front 7 did, and Harper played his role very, very well that year. I also expect much of the same from Harper this season. FS?

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

my gut says Jack still has ill feeling towards the saints since the days he played for us and the way things ended.

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Suicide by stupidity? :p

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Homicide by stupidity!

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Yeah I don't get what Jenkins is saying here. The defense has no culture to it. Except for 09 we've been one of the worst in the league at getting turn overs or sacks. In 2011 we were close to a record for forced fumbles but were last in the league in recoveries. And of course had almost no ints. Except for his first season Gregg Williams was terrible.

If there is a culture on defense it's a culture of suck!

Re: Malcolm Jenkins: Saints D looks different from a “cultural standpoint”
 

Thank you, Jim Mora!