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One of the first things guard Tim Lelito noticed when the New Orleans Saints stepped on the field for their first practice: There was a better flow.

Last summer, the tide crashed into dam after dam, creating a choppy current. The defense would get lined up. A whistle would blow. A coach would yell, and the defense would get lined up again.

It was constant. Confusion reigned. But that's no longer the case: The walls are down, and the players are just playing.



"They're getting aligned faster. Everyone knows the assignments," Lelito said. "Compared to last year, there's hardly any (missed assignments) this year on the defensive side of the ball. We're stopping practice a lot less. Coach isn't blowing the whistle: 'Hey, line up here. What are you doing over there?' It's better for us, because we're getting more reps in and getting better as a team."

It's the Dennis Allen effect. Realistically, there's only so much difference a coach can make on a team. He can design the perfect scheme and teach all of its nuances, but the players have to go out and execute.

But a coach can put his players in a better position to succeed and make sure they aren't shooting themselves in the foot with mindless mistakes or as the result of poor teaching. At that, Allen already has made a noticeable difference.

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lee909

Good good
Just keep it up through February

The Dude

The youth have experience now.that alone helps

Crusader

I really like the sound of this. The less a defensive player thinks the better.

spkb25

rob was certainly the issue...the fact that he would completely overhaul the scheme from mini-camp to training camp is really unbelievable. I can't say our defense is going to light the world on fire, but if they're not noticeably better I'd be surp[rised. Plus this has to help the offense get ready faster too.

ScottF

Exactly.
I'll gladly forego the elaborate schemes and multiple blitz packages if we can just always have 11 guys on the field who know their assignments each play

Crusader

Yeah! Defense is really all about getting to the football and being in a bad mood when you arrive.

jeanpierre

Well, for one thing, we now have only one defensive coordinator, so that alone should prove less confusing for those rocket scientist on defense...

spkb25

we had only one in 14 too and he wasnt the dcoord last year

The Dude

Let's see it against another team they haven't been practicing against.