Final season stats for defense
 

If you're interested in such things, to illustrate the defense's remarkable turnaround

Team
4th, total defense - 305.7 ypg (only .2 ypg away from 3rd actually)
4th, points allowed - 19 ppg
2nd, pass defense - 194.1 ypg
14th, QB rating allowed - 83.6
19th, rush defense 111.6 ypg
4th, sacks - 49.0 (wow)
5th, touchdowns allowed (33)
8th, third down pct (35%)

Individuals
Jordan 5th in NFL with 12.5 sacks
Galette 5th in NFL with 12.0 sacks
Lofton 16th in NFL with 125 tackles
Hawthorne 91 tackles, 3.0 sacks
Hicks 56 tackles, 4.5 sacks
Haralson 30 tackles, 3.5 sacks
Vaccaro 79 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT
Lewis 47 tackles, 4 INT
M Jenkins 68 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 INT

A big hand for this defense, they really got it done this year.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

A great step up and amazing considering its a ndw scheme and the loss of Butler and Coleman in preseason.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Great job all around.

Missing stat: # of players that have hurdled over Malcolm Jenkins due to poor tackling technique

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

How different is the defense going to look next year in terms of scheme? We are moving more towards a true 3-4, right?

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Not necessarily a new scheme. Just a style they're suited to play.

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Looking to OLB of the future. Another (more versatile) Safety

Shore up the o line and all of a sudden out receivers are open again.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Good rebound year on D. I'd like to see some fine tuning. Get rid of Harper and Jenkins. Their time is up. A healthy Victor Butler should help. The LB corps will shape up to be strong next year IMO. I'd like a free agent corner to replace Greer (he's gone)

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

The scheme revert has already been done.

It will look different...

Harolson was a 1 year signing.
Smith hopefully will be gone.
Butler will be back
Vilma will hopefully be gone.
As far as for the DBs i expect a renovation.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Butler replaces Haralson

Two young ILBs in Rufus and Reddick, 2-3 years away from starting

Need another S and CB (likely via free agency)

Draft OL & DL

WR to replace Meachem - Jordan Matthews or Odell Beckham Jr.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

I forget about Glenn Johnson. He should be a great rotational player next year along with Walker and Tom Johnson.

I could see us picking up a NT to replace Bunkley.

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Re: Final season stats for defense
 

I love that #2 pass defense.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

+1. I loved the Haralson acquisition however I thought he would have had more of an impact this season. As for Odell Jr., he is projected as a day 2 pick and with all of our other needs, I'm not sure this kid will still be around like Stills was last draft.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Rob Ryan aka The Big Lebowski has done one hell of a job with that defense. This guy will be in demand for a head coaching job within the next few weeks.

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Awesome job, especially with the injuries. Congrats!!

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Draft Josh Huff out of Oregan to go along with Stills we could let Moore walk. Real good slot reciever, that won't break the bank, some reads say he is a poor mans Antwoin Boldin. Could be drafted in 3rd to 6th round.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Hopefully not.. I want him here for a long time

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Can you split those stats out home vs. away?

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Home points given up = 15 PPG
Away points given up = 22 PPG (which would rank 14th best in the NFL over 16 games)

Now Offense looks a lot different...

Home points scored = 34 PPG
Away points scored = 17 PPG (wow)

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Home:
Total defense = 270.2 YpG
Pass defense = 176.5 YpG
Rush defense = 93.7 YpG
Points allowed = 15.6 PpG

Away:
Total defense = 341.1 YpG
Pass defense = 244.6 YpG
Rush defense = 129.5 YpG
Points allowed = 22.3 PpG

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Yeah, Danno, and we wonder why we're the road underdog. Philly won their last 4 at home averaging 34 points while giving up 17.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Why replace Jenkins? He and Vaccaro compliment each other, unlike Harper with either player. Plus RR's scheme depends on defensive flexibility and both Vaccaro and Jenkins are versatile enough to slide inside and cover the slot. The only thing I would do is find a true 3-4 DE to allow Junior to focus on pass rushing and another CB. The pressure defense means you need CB's who can play on an island.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Saints bring 4th ranked defense into Philadelphia. Boom!

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No need to draft a Wr IMO We still got Morgan sitting resting those acl's. And plus Stills is better at the speed Wr than Meachem anyway. We solidify the line and our corners I'd be scared. Imagine if we could've played the season with Butler and the only person I see us replacing soon is Colston if Toon doesn't work out.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Horrible tackling on their one highlight of the night.... Btw what a difference the loss of vaccaro makes.... Underwood went right through the secondary....

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

The threads I could bump would make this thread glorious.

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If drew restructures and jimmy doesn't try and over do it maybe we can keep Moore I'm sure he'd restructure anyway. Nothing like being in a familiar team that is good.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Someone is gone after this season...

WR
Colston
Meachem
Moore
Stills
Toon
Morgan


Ive a feeling Moore will be traded and replaced by Stills, Toon will be gone, and Meachem will be gone.

There is also a good possibility that Morgan will be gone also as he will be a free agent. Morgan has been with us 3 years has not had a completely healthy season yet.. In a nut shell we paid 1.3M for 10 catches.

The reds go and we pick up new Receivers.

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Thats quite a turnaround. I think Meachem stays at vet minimum until someone takes his spot. Replacing 4 of your 6 receivers in one season is tough.

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I want Morgan back, he was looking to have a big season. We let Henderson go and we figured Morgan would be ready. But I have faith, that moment he flipped that guy off his back vs TB last year I was sold, loads of potential.

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Yes but like Ivory he cant stay healthy. You cant make the team from the whirlpool.

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Some thoughts on the defense next year since people started that:

Secondary: I don't mind Jenkins staying on a cheap deal, but IMO Vaccaro and Bush should be the two starting safeties. Both are multi-dimensional versatile players who can cover, hit hard and tackle well. Jenkins would be a good 3rd guy to have around because he can play all DB positions. Harper is gone. I do think Greer is probably done/gone sadly, but Lewis/White/Robinson is a real good starting point at CB if that is indeed the case.

Linebackers: Haralson will be cheap so re-sign him, with Galette and Butler that should make for a good rotation of outside LBs. I really like the Lofton/Hawthorne combo a lot, good players who work well together. Herring/Vilma/Smith all gone. People want to get rid of Lofton, I don't understand that at all. He has some limitations, sure, but he is still a very good player and the brains of the defense.

D-line: All of these young guys are locked in. The only guy I can see possibly being gone is Bunkley because it would save about 1.3 million and Hicks could move over to nose tackle with very little drop-off IMO. Bigger roles for Walker/Foster too. At some point Jordan/Hicks are going to get big raises, if we can keep those two guys happy and together this will be a solid d-line for years and years to come.

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Remember- Meachem is cheap- $1 mill. Moore came on yesterday, but we cannot afford him at $5 mill

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When Bunkley got hurt John Jenkins was a bossing it up with tackles for loss and big run stuffs. But now that Bunkley is back I don't even see him, trade Bunkley, save cap space and get younger.

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Who was it that predicted the Saints to have a top 5 defense at the begging of the season?

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Bunkley has been good in run support this year. He may not be getting TFLs, but he is not letting the RB get very many positive yards.

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Several predicted we'd have a good one (including me) and some said maybe even mid teens (including me).

But many many more ridiculed anyone who claimed we'd even get in the teens or low 20's.

You know who you are.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

ILB - time to homegrown some studs

Once we solidify the middle half of our second level, the sky is the limit.

WR - Offense has gotten a bit stagnant. In a extremely deep receiver class coming out, a mid round investment in a WR could pay off in spades.

OL- Well, duh.

Not overly concerned about making any big changes to our secondary. As long as the pressure is coming, they'll be as good as they need to be.

Oh, and give me Aaron Murray.

Re: Final season stats for defense
 

Please no.

Murray = a college version of Tony Romo. Puts up good #s but chokes in late game situations.