The Real Question about the Defense...
 

OK. So Rob has left the building. Now what?

Everyone seems to be talking about people. Coaches, players, management.

But for me it doesn't answer the real question about the defense:

Given the current personnel, and limited adjustment time in-season, what is the best scheme that can be deployed to improve defensive performance?

The measuring criteria are:

1. Points
2. Takeaways
3. 3rd down percentage.
4. Soul crushing penalties.
5. Explosive plays (20+ yards)

What should DC Allen do? Who does he roll out? What scheme can be put in place in a short timeframe?

Is there anything that can really be done to make this defense better quickly?

Interested in hearing your thoughts.

SFIAH

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

If anyone here could figure it out, I'm sure Rob Ryan could and he'd still be employed. It's why NFL coaches make boatloads more money than most of us do.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Allen has to just play the hand he's been dealt.
4-3, Zone it, and keep everything in front of you.
Make teams have to execute 13 play drives.
Every possession would give us 13 opportunities for a turnover.
Better results will ONLY come with better play.
They have been looking so lost and out of place.
The conversations on the field after a breakdown seemed to frustrate more than just me.
Dumb the thing down and let every man cover/whip his man.
As a group they have to be able to cover their brother's weaknesses.
The only magic is to actually make the tackle 2 yards in the backfield when it presents itself.
Just don't jump off-sides on 3rd and 4 and give away a 1st down. Just don't do it.
Set the edges and funnel to your help.
Become good at something - Anything!
Run stuff, coverage, pass rush - Something - Anything!
Do something well and force teams to do the other things.
I am interested to see what becomes of this group.
Circle the wagons - and man up.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

To some degree he does have to play the hand he was given...

But he starts by changing the attitude and philosophy.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

We've seen many teams with less talent perform much better than we have. That's coaching.
Euphoria nailed it. Call it whatever, culture, attitude, philosophy, cohesiveness...
Let's see if Allen can make something positive with the parts and pieces he's inherited. His tool box is filled with the right tools

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

exactly what Shanle said. He said hustle anfd attitude can cover up talent deficiencies.

we weren't running to the ball. bunch of quitters..hes a players coach, we need an *******

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Let's trade a 2 and 4 for Spags to come in and hire Jason David to coach the secondary. Defensive line sucks so our secondary sucks. That won't be solved this year.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

What they do or what I would like to see? What I would like to see is a switch to a 3-4 and let the lb.ers crash in(blitz) and see who needs to stay and who needs to go on the front line and lbers. Our front 7 hasn't played well for awhile and unless Suh is coming to town tomorrow they aint. Switching now lets us see what we need on those 2 lines then I think our secondary(with Browner) would be hard to contend with. Worst comes to worst we get a great top 5 pick out of the deal. Win, win in my book.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

We actually have talent in the backfield, yes even Browner. We addressed too much of one problem and not enough of the other this offseason. If our line could generate a respectable pass rush that the DBs could count on we would be one interception churning machine.

Of course during the offseason everyone will cry to rebuild the backfield when they are just a symptom of the real problem.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Play team defense = Discipline
Beat the man in front of you = Attitude

Add them together is Balance. Dennis Allen must channel Obi Won & Yoda with this defense and get this Balance.

Half jokin'..half serious, here...

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Can you offer an example from the last few years? I'm just trying to understand what the Saints could do with similar personnel that can significantly improve defensive performance.

SFIAH

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

This makes some sense. Two questions:

1. Do we have the personnel to play zone without penalty? We already know that Browner will simply grab anyone who comes near him.

2. Again do we have personnel or scheme that will make any QB in this league the least bit uncomfortable? One of the consistent items I've seen is no pressure on the QB. Do we have anyone to generate that with any consistency?
I'm figuring that there is some talent on the defense. Rob simply could not figure out how to get the defense in positions to be successful.

Is there a defensive scheme that will actually improve their performance so that they don't look so lost?

SFIAH

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

gap assignment and discipline in rush lanes

man coverage unless Dennis does away with the 7 to 10 yard cushions.

single safety in Rob's system was a huge failure.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

We're getting killed by passes to the TE. We're getting killed by Browner's penalties and coverage deficiencies.

So, put Browner on the TE all game?

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Blitz..... Then blitz sum more and if all else fails.... Blitz again....

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Just never punt again.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2NPIuY4arI...resteadLBJ.gif

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

And so it has been written change the attitude of the team. Lose the defeat-us attitude case in point.
The Defense gives up a big play and RR starts throwing his arms around gray freaking hair all over the place.
He was constantly stomping around instead of figuring the next play.

"Next play ahh what next play, oh yeah right the next play."

Check out Coach Payton, a play fails he's on to the next one
talking to upstairs seldom do you see him jerking around. Maybe
to yell at a Zebra or a player that needs a little jolt in his brain.
So here we are once again for the first time a new DC.
Just hope Dennis Allen can focus on the game and make
his adjustments and have the Defense buy what he's selling.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Unfortunately as long as Mauti/Dunbar/Hawthorne or Humber is playing, we are still gonna suck at defending the TE

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Nothing wrong with Humber when he has a cast. Hes a legit starter. The others a backups on other teams at best.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

I basically agree with this statement. I would like to add if the saints defense is to stay so bad will the saints stop cutting promising young talent when they sign them. We have had some solid prospects roll through the door only to see them get the axe days later for aging vets

look if I am to suffer through this I want to see progress at the very least depth wise some where,some how on this defense.

I can handle 30 points a game if the stable is loading up with a bunch of young colts. what i can not handle is 30 points a game with nothing but of aging old mares in the stable.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Need to pressure the QB...period..
Even the best QB's can be knocked off their game, but we need hits on the QB...
Without a true stud in the middle(which we don't have) I think we need to play 4-3...
The 4 down lineman have to generate some pass rush by themselves so we can blitz less.. Kikaha and Jordan together is a good start but we need major help in the midle..preferably in the mold of Hand and Glover...
Anthony needs to be flanked by some speed and let the LB's fly to the ball..

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

How can a 3-4 work without a load to play NT? Just curious as to what is to be accomplished by throwing an already confused D into more confusion.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

If we go mainly zone, we are screwed. We don't have the speed to pull it off. We need to play good ole fashion man but that requires the safetys to get there heads out there ass. You can only dumb down a defensive scheme so much. I don't think that is the answer.

IMO the answer is and always has been, the front 7. If we get no pressure, we are screwed, I.E. Titans, Giants, Skins. They keep trying to dumb things down when the problem is the front 7. They seem unmotivated most of time. Which leads to the next assistant who needs to be fired and should have been fired a long time ago.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Cam Jordan
John Jenkins
Kevin Williams
Bobby Richardson

That screams 4-3.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

Out of that bunch only Cam can play both

He played 3-4 all throughout college and with us in 2013, he still managed 12.5 sacks whilst fighting through double teams.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

We will roll with the 4-3. We don't have a true NT to stuff the middle and get pressure in the backfield. We also, don't have enough healthy quality LB'ers to run a 3-4 either. Browner needs to play the same role that NE and Seattle used him in. Maybe they should study some film on him before he came here and utilize him the same.

Re: The Real Question about the Defense...
 

If we can get healthy on defense I would rather we put the 11 best athletes on the field. I would think that this translates into a big nickel or big dime type scheme.

Breaux and Lewis are good man cover guys. Byrd plays the 1 high safety responsible to the over the top and range. Browner and Vaccaro both play in the box responsible for short zones on either side of the field with TE jams or RB/FB flat responsibility. Stephone Anthony has to be the seek and destroy run stuffer. Kikaha is a full time blitzer/end contain on one side and the line is as above: Jordan/Williams/Jenkins/Richardson.

I think our depth at secondary out weighs our depth and talent at LBer. And if teams want to favour the run in a passing league then dare them to do so. I would hope we improve in that area and just get people in the backfield to force things rather than just continually get picked apart like a carcass.