Will the Saints secondary avoid a repeat of their 2018 early season letdown?
By Bob Rose | Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints came into the 2018 season with the thought that they had one of the better cornerback corps in the league. Marshon Lattimore was coming off Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a Pro Bowl bid, Ken Crawley seemed to be a solid number two compliment, P.J. Williams looked like a potentially competent slot corner, and the Saints had brought back former 1st round draft pick Patrick Robinson. The Saints instead began the '18 season with their pass defense getting embarrassed against Tampa Bay in the season opener, then again two weeks later against rival Atlanta, giving up a combined 88 points, 776 passing yards, and 9 touchdowns through the air in the two contests. Crawley regressed badly, and would eventually be benched. Williams' play was nearly as bad, and Robinson went down with a season-ending injury in week three. New Orleans swung a deal with the New York Giants at the league's trade deadline at midseason though to acquire Eli Apple, and Lattimore solidified his coverage after early-season struggles to play well down the stretch of the year. The Saints still finished just 29th in the league against the pass, mostly due to those early season breakdowns. Coming into 2019, Lattimore and Apple look to be one of the better tandems in the NFL, Robinson returns from injury, and the team made some offseason moves at the position. The Saints officially open training camp later this week, and today we look at one of the defense's most scrutinized positions.
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