Two games into the season, the Saints’ defense performed down to expectations: New Orleans yielded 777 passing yards and 32.5 points per game in a pair of double-digit losses. But the Saints have since won six straight, and that beleaguered D has surrendered more than 200 yards through the air just once. This from a unit that had finished last or next-to-last in DVOA each of the last three seasons. Pigs really can grow wings, apparently. The Saints’ improvement can be chalked up to some stellar play on the back end of their defense—the result of some early-round draft investments that so far appear to be paying off. That, in turn, has allowed a defense that continues to be as blitz-happy as any in the league to tee off with abandon. It’s helped, too, that the Saints have gotten to face the Packers without Aaron Rodgers, and the reeling Buccaneers with a gimpy Jameis Winston. But while Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense (third in DVOA through Week 9) is its usual high-octane self, the defense’s resurrection is the biggest reason they’re 6-2 and in first place in the NFC South. The Saints began rebuilding their defense on draft day, when they invested the No. 11 overall pick in cornerback Marshon Lattimore and the latter of their two second-round selections in free safety Marcus Williams. Lattimore has quickly proved to be among the NFL’s best cover corners: Per Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating against of just 37.4 when he’s in coverage, the second-lowest among cornerbacks across the league. Williams, meanwhile, has been a fit as a centerfielder who rarely gets beaten over the top. That has allowed Kenny Vaccaro— no stranger to position switches over his five seasons—to play 285 of his 455 snaps as at cornerback, with most of those coming in the slot. And Vaccaro is giving up a passer rating of just 40.7, which ranks third-lowest in the league among CBs, according to PFF. This is why this matters: The Saints have blitzed on 39 percent of their defensive snaps this season—the sixth-highest total in the NFL, per PFF. But they were even more aggressive last season, when they brought five or more pass rushers 41.6 percent of the time (including a whopping 47.3 percent on third downs). Last year was Dennis Allen’s first full season as defensive coordinator after he took over for Rob Ryan with six games remaining in the 2015 campaign. According to Football Outsiders, defensive end Cameron Jordan finished last season tied for third in QB hurries (50), tied for sixth in QB hits (19), and tied for eighth in QB knockdowns (27). Yet it didn’t matter. The Saints’ D still sucked. This time, even with cornerback Delvin Breaux and defensive end Nick Fairley out for the year with injuries, the Saints have found ways to thrive. One of the adjustments Allen made after the first two games was to tilt more toward zone coverage after being man-heavy in the season-opening losses to the Vikings and Patriots. PFF’s Mike Renner, writing in the , noted that the Saints played man 57.1 percent of the time the first two weeks before scaling that back to 41.8 percent over the next three games. That transition also coincides with a decision to elevate Ken Crawley, a 2016 undrafted free agent, into a regular role as an outside corner. And it’s also when the blitzes started coming: Per Renner, the Saints had brought blitzers on just 28 percent of all snaps in Weeks 1 and 2. In Week 6, the Saints scored three defensive touchdowns in a victory over the Lions. Watch how Vaccaro recovered a Matthew Stafford fumble for a TD after defensive end Alex Okafor knocked the ball from Stafford’s hand in the end zone: Before the snap, the Saints showed a Cover 2 look, with both safeties high. But at the snap, Vaccaro blitzed from his slot position toward the top of the screen, with safety Rafael Bush dropping down to cover Golden Tate before Stafford could check the ball down. At that point, with everyone covered, Stafford was toast. It was only a matter of time before someone would get to him. Later in that same game, the Lions double-teamed Jordan, which left Craig Robertson with a clear path to Stafford. Running back Theo Riddick was the hot read, but Manti Te’o adjusted his delayed blitz to jump in the passing lane, which caused Stafford to pull back and Robertson to get the easy strip-sack: Last week, against Winston and the Bucs, the Saints created havoc here by showing a pre-snap Cover 1 look that became a Cover 2 as the blitz came from both slot corners while the two inside linebackers dropped into coverage: That allowed Jordan (No. 94) to just bull-rush his way to Winston: Yes, the Bucs were confused a lot, as wideout DeSean Jackson later acknowledged: “Across the board, when you watch film on them, they’re a single high safety team. If you watch film and see what they are doing … they bring pressure, they put 32 (Kenny Vaccaro) in the slot a lot of the time. “We thought we were going to see that, and we really didn’t get to see that too much. They had a lot of cover-2 safeties, two-man, tried to play zone on me and Mike (Evans).” Jordan has been his usual terrific self, with seven sacks (tied for 10th in the league), along with a pass-rush productivity rating of 11.2, which ranks 12th among all 4-3 edge defenders, according to PFF. But Okafor has been the much bigger surprise. After playing just 21.4 percent of the defensive snaps last year for his previous team, the Cardinals, he’s been on the field for 77 percent of the plays this year, and he’s responded with 3.5 sacks and a PRP of 7.6, which ranks 40th among 4-3 ends. The Saints’ D still has its issues. Against the run, they’re giving up 4.7 yards per carry, which ranks 29th, and their run defense went into Week 9 ranked 29th in DVOA. And after pounding on Brett Hundley, Mitchell Trubisky, and the Jameis Winston-Ryan Fitzpatrick combo the last three games, they’ll be facing Tyrod Taylor, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, Cam Newton, and Matt Ryan in succession in the weeks ahead. The pigs seem to be flying. How long can they stay in the air? Relatedbetting odds calculationsparlay calculatormoneyline to percentage calculatorhalf point odds calculatorkelly forumula calculatorhedge calculator for sports bettingwhat is the spread in bettingover/under bettingsports betting parlaysround robin betting explainedwhat is +ev bettinghedging bets
Related Posts
He recounted Colombia defender Juan Zuniga s challenge that left Neymar with a fractured bone in his back, ruling him out of the 2014 World Cup semi-finals, and added of the most recent global showpiece in Russia: A stomp on his ankle [from Mexico s Miguel Layun] when he was out of the game.
It was said that there was nothing and that, on the contrary, he simulated. He had VAR, he had the whole world watching, but anyway, he was considered guilty .
Neymar Santos Sr also cited the Strasbourg incident to strengthen his case and said whenever his son falls, he is considered a diver and met with harsh treatment.
He added: Can we not dribble? We do not have the right to have talent? He gets carried away!
He believes that some in the press pu…
Antoine Griezmann is determined to add the Champions League to his impressive list of honours as Atletico Madrid prepare to kick-off their latest bid for glory at Monaco on Tuesday.
Griezmann inspired Atleti to Europa League success last season, hitting a brace in the 3-0 final victory over Marseille, before starring in France s triumphant 2018 World Cup run.
Atletico were only in the Europa League after a Champions League group-stage exit in 2017 – quite a turn up for the 2014 and 2016 beaten finalists, and their attacking talisman takes his share of the blame
Griezmann, who committed his future to Atleti during the close season by penning a long-term contract until 2023, told AS: When I see the Champions League trophy, I think, The next one s mine . We didn t…
Borussia Dortmund winger Christian Pulisic has fired a warning to Bayern Munich ahead of the start of the Bundesliga campaign.
Carlo Ancelotti s side have been crowned champions every year since Dortmund won back-to-back titles under Jurgen Klopp in 2011 and 2012.
BVB finished third last season, three points behind RB Leipzig in second and 18 adrift of Bayern at the top, having suffered six defeats in their 34 matches.
However, they secured two wins against Bayern over the course of the season, claiming a 1-0 league victory in November and a 3-2 triumph in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal, which they went on to win.
And Pulisic, who has rubbished rumours of a move to the Allianz Arena in recent weeks, believes Dortmund are well placed to take back the Bund…
Jurgen Klopp does not expect Naby Keita to be involved in Liverpool s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday after sustaining a hamstring injury.
The Guinea midfielder had to be withdrawn just 19 minutes into Saturday s 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion, for which he had been a doubt after being clattered by Paul Pogba in last weekend s 5-0 hammering of Manchester United.
Klopp could not offer much information about Keita s condition immediately after the match, simply confirming it was a hamstring injury and that he can t say more .
But at the very least, it appears Klopp will be preparing to face Atletico at Anfield without Keita as the Reds look to seal top spot in Champions League Group B with two matches to spare.
Klopp tol…
Jesus Vallejo is adamant he has a future at Real Madrid and plans to stay after overcoming injury problems.
Vallejo joined Madrid from Real Zaragoza in 2015 after emerging as one of Spain s most promising youngsters.
At hometown club Zaragoza, Vallejo was appointed captain as a teenager and impressed with his technical abilities and reading of the game from centre-back.
Madrid loaned him back to Zaragoza and then to Eintracht Frankfurt, where he caught the eye despite fitness problems, which have also interrupted his career since returning to the Santiago Bernabeu for the start of the 2017-18 campaign.
Vallejo made just five LaLiga appearances this term, but all of them were in the last three months and he is feeling optimistic about the future.
�…
The Mirror understands that Ashley Cole could return to England, after being released by LA Galaxy.
The former England full-back had been playing his football in Los Angeles for the past two years, racking up eighty-six appearances in all competitions and scoring a total of three goals.
Prior to his switch to the MLS, Cole had a stint in Serie A with Roma which followed eight years at Chelsea where he won a whole host of major honours including the Premier League, four FA Cups, the Europa League and the Champions Leagues.
He also won multiple trophies with his first club Arsenal while internationally, he won one hundred and seven caps for his country and played at no less than five major tournaments between 2002 and 2012.
He became the first black p…
While we might have only just opened the 2020/2021 campaign, strikers up and down the Premier League are desperate to get their year off to a flying start and will undoubtedly have one eye on a certain individual award.
With Jamie Vardy lifting the Golden Boot last season after bagging 23 top-flight strikes for Leicester, the bookmakers have drawn up their list of who the favourites to get their hands on the title this time around.
In a stacked list of striking superstars, who are the three attacking MVP s leading the early odds in the race for this year s Golden Boot?
Mohamed Salah 4/1 with
While Mohamed Salah might have watched on as Sadio Mane s brace helped Liverpool pick up a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, the Egyptian superstar has already ope…
Mesut Ozil has no plans to leave Arsenal and expects to stay at least until his contract expires in 2021, despite rumours suggesting he could depart this month, according to the German s agent Dr. Erkut Sogut.
The former Germany international is enduring a difficult season with the Gunners, having been in and out of Unai Emery s team since the coach arrived from Paris Saint-Germain.
He was left out of the EFL Cup quarter-final defeat to Tottenham on December 19, before returning to the team in the Premier League for meetings with Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion, getting injured against the latter.
Ozil s erratic performances have frustrated supporters this term, while some pundits have suggested his style of play simply does not fit into Emery s ideal setup…
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 400th goal since turning 30 with a superb opening strike in Al Nassr’s 2-0 win over Al Khaleej in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.
Ronaldo, 38, picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area in the 26th minute and turned his marker, who was left on the floor after the Portugal forward then faked to shoot.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star took a touch to set himself before firing the ball into the roof of the net from just outside the penalty arc.
He’s done it again
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN)
It was Ronaldo’s 12th league goal this season, which puts him top of the standings ahead of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who joined Al Hilal from Fulham during August.
Al Nassr had earlier seen a g…
Former Borussia Dortmund coach Matthias Sammer has described the club s players as immature after their shock 2-1 Bundesliga defeat to Augsburg on Friday.
The loss means reigning champions Bayern Munich can move level on points with Dortmund at the league summit if they beat Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.
Lucien Favre s side have now won just once in their last five games and Sammer has warned Dortmund s players that they need to change their mentality swiftly if they are to win a first Bundesliga title since 2012.
Because they have already been German champions, there are expectations on Dortmund, the 51-year-old told Eurosport.
But they are immature. The game was decided in the head. You have seen for a while now that they do not know what to…