Kwon Alexander Torn Achilles

AsylumGuido · 01-03-2021, 08:50 AM

Without Kwon Alexander, Saints 'confident in ability' of LB Alex Anzalone

BY AMIE JUST | STAFF WRITER JAN 1, 2021 - 4:41 PM

When the New Orleans Saints traded for linebacker Kwon Alexander ahead of the trade deadline back in early November, coach Sean Payton talked to linebacker Alex Anzalone about what the acquisition meant for him specifically.

Anzalone had started in the eight games prior, playing on the majority of the snaps after coming back from a season-ending shoulder injury the season before.

"I just said, 'Hey, this is always a long season,'" Payton said. "'Stay focused. Continue to improve each week.' And he's done that."

From Weeks 10 to 15, Anzalone's defensive reps were few and far between, seeing an increase in his role on special teams.

But last week against the Minnesota Vikings, Anzalone was called into action after Alexander was carted to the locker room with a non-contact ankle injury that was later revealed to be a torn Achilles tendon.

"We're gonna count on him," Payton said of the plan moving forward.

Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said that the loss of Alexander for the rest of the season hurts the Saints, especially because of the energy and positivity that Alexander brings to the defense, but he also said that Anzalone has "played really well" for the Saints, too.

"We're extremely confident in his ability to go in and step in and play," Allen said, later adding that there's some similarities between how Anzalone and Alexander play.

Because of those parallels, Allen said the Saints won't change much in terms of what they do defensively.

Anzalone has started in 19 games for the Saints since the team drafted him in 2017, with eight of those starts coming this season.

This season, the Florida product has 39 total tackles and three tackles for loss.

01-03-2021, 08:50 AM	#37
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,720	Re: Kwon Alexander Torn Achilles Without Kwon Alexander, Saints 'confident in ability' of LB Alex Anzalone BY AMIE JUST \| STAFF WRITER JAN 1, 2021 - 4:41 PM When the New Orleans Saints traded for linebacker Kwon Alexander ahead of the trade deadline back in early November, coach Sean Payton talked to linebacker Alex Anzalone about what the acquisition meant for him specifically. Anzalone had started in the eight games prior, playing on the majority of the snaps after coming back from a season-ending shoulder injury the season before. "I just said, 'Hey, this is always a long season,'" Payton said. "'Stay focused. Continue to improve each week.' And he's done that." From Weeks 10 to 15, Anzalone's defensive reps were few and far between, seeing an increase in his role on special teams. But last week against the Minnesota Vikings, Anzalone was called into action after Alexander was carted to the locker room with a non-contact ankle injury that was later revealed to be a torn Achilles tendon. "We're gonna count on him," Payton said of the plan moving forward. Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said that the loss of Alexander for the rest of the season hurts the Saints, especially because of the energy and positivity that Alexander brings to the defense, but he also said that Anzalone has "played really well" for the Saints, too. "We're extremely confident in his ability to go in and step in and play," Allen said, later adding that there's some similarities between how Anzalone and Alexander play. Because of those parallels, Allen said the Saints won't change much in terms of what they do defensively. Anzalone has started in 19 games for the Saints since the team drafted him in 2017, with eight of those starts coming this season. This season, the Florida product has 39 total tackles and three tackles for loss.
	“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill