Vrillon82

Question I been asking since seeing so much pressure up front, I have to ask..........where did this stellar play come from? We never seen such play in over 10 years from that unit.


But why is it coming together now with the same guys we had before?

Could Rob Ryan be a top tier coordinator all along?

Could it be the addition of Keenan Lewis to pair with Jabari Greer?

Apparently Rob Ryan is doing something Gregg Williams, Gary Gibbs, or Spags could not do.

It ask more questions than answers.

Perhaps its the reason why Sean Payton has kept the players we wanted gone for so long? After last year and partially during the Gregg Williams era, we wanted so many guys gone. Biggest culprit was Harper, and then Malcom Jenkins was beginning to blow goats as well.

But now perhaps we finally got a competent coordinator? Could that be why all these 1st rd picks are beginning to really pan out? As well as guys we knew who had potential is now playing up to that potential?

You know I figured our defense would be improved, it couldnt possibly get worse, but to go from last in the NFL to 5th..........thats one hell of a turnaround no one expected.

Thoughts?

jeanpierre

It's the big Mo...

We had all kinds of commitment to Will Smith and Sedric Ellis; we had younger, faster, hungrier talent waiting for the opportunity...

Were we really gonna tell Benson that he was paying for Smith and Ellis to sit on the bench at that kind of money?!?

That's the part of this league that p/me/o when there's better players, everyone in the stadium and watching from their favorite locale can see it, but the big mo factor gets in the way...

Don't want wish ill on no one, but the injuries to Smith, Harper, Vilma, and Ellis departure have done for the team what none of the staff wanted on their shoulders...

The 34 switch, putting Cameron in his natural position and allowing Hicks, T Walker, Big Jenkins, Foster the snaps is what you are seeing not some BS mad genius who brought in his guys because he didn't trust what he already had...

Teams like the Steelers that build through the draft have known this for years...

This anti-rookie playing time thing for the Saints has limited them until the recent injuries...

The only addition that had a major impact was Parys Haralson; and I dare say there were other 49ers FA who come from that tough-attitude that we could of used but chose some 'Boys instead...

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

Jack Vegas

I don't think it has all that much to do with switching to the "3-4" considering we are playing a four-man line about 75% of the time.

We just stuck with some guys for too long. Defense is about hunger and intensity. Especially on the line.

|Mitch|

What gets me is that we have the pretty much the same defensive coaches. Bill Johnson has been the D-Line coach for a few years now and he has never gotten the production we are seeing.

And I do believe Ryan is a top tier coordinator, he's just never had an offense worth a damn whose got his back...

Rugby Saint II

It's easy to say why we're better. We have a coach who is using players to their strengths.....and we have some talented players who have grown and matured in their time with the Saints. Let's not forget the addition of Vaccaro as a reason for this defense to be improved.
Jordan, Jenkins Hicks, Bunkley, Foster and Walker are the biggest reasons for our D-line success.

SloMotion

3-4, baby!

TheOak

It is not the same personnel
Our offense is not what I would call having anyone's back this year

Its a combination of personnel, some draft picks coming into their own, and Rob and playing to strengths.

This year
2013 New Orleans Saints Depth Chart | Ourlads.com

Last Year
Ourlads' NFL Depth Chart Archive

Boutte

Jordan was here last year but was basically playing out of position.

Hicks Walker and Foster are all beasts who either weren't here last year or weren't ready. It's a whole new line really. Bunkley and Johnson are good vets who will only make us better when we get them back.

RailBoss

It's called no-nonsense FEAR, Ryan is crazy !!!

jeanpierre

It's definitely a 34, as the linemen are lined up in different gaps with different assignments; the OLB may be in a 3pt stance, but where they're lining up over the offensive linemen makes a huge difference...