Jacksonville defense struggling mightily this season (3 Viewers)

[BiloxiSaint1]

What's the trap? Normally, people use that phrase to indicate that a team is overlooking an opponent in favor of the following game. Why would the Saints be looking beyond Jacksonville to Chicago? I don't understand why this would be the case.

I do confess that I posted an update a few days ago that Mitch Trubisky might be ready for the Saints game. I'm guilty of looking ahead!

I'm also just a fan - not a player or coach - so there's that too! Lol

 

[Saint Kamara]

Playing on grass....sure hope it's sunny and the field is in good shape.
Priority #1....choose the right cleats
Priority #2... stop the run
Priority #3...make minshew uncomfortable
I'm hoping this isn't a trap game.
I heard they're handing out minshew mania packages (fake mustache and headband )

I'm not underestimating minshew. ..I wanted
us to use a late round pick on him.

Not sure you can ever call it a trap game with you starting a backup QB.

 

[sammymvpknight]

I don’t think they’ve been great. But the DVOA can be really deceptive given the situational football we’ve faced. We’ve faced really good run defenses with a backup QB so they could load up to stop the run. PLUS, we’ve had leads so teams knew we’d be trying to grind the clock.

DVOA has limitations. Strength of schedule is not accounted for. I’m not convinced that anyone we played other than the Bucs have a great run defending team. The Cowboys just got lit up by Aaron Jones.

I also don’t think that we have a backup QB as an excuse considering that we have the same QB this weekend.

I’m hoping you’re right. Just trying to anticipate ways things can go wrong. I do think that Saints fans don’t quite appreciate Minshews ability...yet.

 

[St. PJ]

Maybe I've just been a conditioned Saints fan for too long, but I never go into a game thinking "this should be an easy win". Say what you want about how Jacksonville's defense has performed up to this point, but that defensive line scares me the same way the Texans, Rams, Seattle, and Dallas defensive front scare me. The Saints offensive line played well against the Texans & Bucs, poorly against Cowboys and Rams, and OK against Seattle. If things speed up for Teddy and he doesn't hesitate as much, perhaps they do good against the Jags.

That said, Murray runs waayy too high, and anytime he is in the game defenders are making contact almost immediately because the trend is a run play. Kamara hasn't had many holes to run through either; thank goodness he makes people miss and breaks so many tackles.

My point is that as long as we don't have Drew Brees, a dependable WR2 / TE, and a rusher like Mark, the margin of victory for every game will be a fragile thing (even with Drew if MT goes ghost for a game). I expect Jacksonville's defense to be a stiff test, and I actually think Minshew will be a superior QB to Foles. I don't think the Saints have faced a RB as powerful and gifted as LF7 this year, so we've got a ways to go before we can breath easy.

 

[Saint Kamara]

If we can execute the screen game and get the run game going, we should have no problem offensively.
They seem to be sloppy at tackling. Now after just being destroyed by McCaffey I can't see them allowing the same thing to happen 2 weeks in a row.

Hopefully Sean doesn't over analyze and come out pass happy. We need to start establishing the run game as a team, we'll need it in the 2nd half of the season and into the playoffs.

Or alternatively maybe we should exploit their leaky secondary as they will be hell bent on stopping the run this week and possibly over play it.

I do agree let's try to be balanced this game. But we'll take what they give us.

 

[Saint Spud]

DVOA has limitations. Strength of schedule is not accounted for. I’m not convinced that anyone we played other than the Bucs have a great run defending team. The Cowboys just got lit up by Aaron Jones.

I also don’t think that we have a backup QB as an excuse considering that we have the same QB this weekend.

I’m hoping you’re right. Just trying to anticipate ways things can go wrong. I do think that Saints fans don’t quite appreciate Minshews ability...yet.

Having a backup is an excuse when that QB hadn’t yet shown he can connect on throws downfield. It shrinks the amount of real estate the defense is forced to defend, so they can attack the line.

Teddy hitting downfield throws against TB should loosen things up upfront against future opponents. If not, he will have to attack deep again until it does. That wasn’t a necessity in previous games, so defenses played up to stop the run and short passing game.

 

[BiloxiSaint1]

I’m not convinced that anyone we played other than the Bucs have a great run defending team.

Great... I'd agree - even then the Saints produced well enough on the ground against Tampa.

But we've faced some really solid run D teams IMO.

The Cowboys are the worse at run D of the teams we've played so far - but they are still middle of the league. Everyone else we've played have better run Ds.

I'd put the Texans down as a good run defense. On 28 carries, the Panthers O produced 3.4 ypc against the Texans. I'd take that any day.

Seattle is stout on run D at home at 3.7 ypc.

Rams are top 10 and 2.9 ypc at home.

All the teams we played are on this list:

Just trying to anticipate ways things can go wrong. I do think that Saints fans don’t quite appreciate Minshews ability...yet

We are Saints fans. We can't avoid feeling like this. But I'm thinking this Saints pass defense can do well against young, inexperienced QBs. I hope so, because we have a lot of those on the schedule this season.

 

[Saint Spud]

Great... I'd agree - even then the Saints produced well enough on the ground against Tampa.

But we've faced some really solid run D teams IMO.

The Cowboys are the worse at run D of the teams we've played so far - but they are still middle of the league. Everyone else we've played have better run Ds.

I'd put the Texans down as a good run defense. On 28 carries, the Panthers O produced 3.4 ypc against the Texans. I'd take that any day.

Seattle is stout on run D at home at 3.7 ypc.

Rams are top 10 and 2.9 ypc at home.

All the teams we played are on this list:






We are Saints fans. We can't avoid feeling like this. But I'm thinking this Saints pass defense can do well against young, inexperienced QBs. I hope so, because we have a lot of those on the schedule this season.

Right. To be clear, I think this will be a tough game. I don’t think it’s a walkover and if Ramsey plays, we will have to be extra creative.

But there are reasons to be optimistic as well. Minshew has played really well, but Allen has done a great job disguising coverages and limiting mobile QBs. Playing against Wilson, Watson and Prescott should help us in limiting big plays Minshew creates on the run.

And we aren’t an elite running team (especially without Ingram). But we are still good enough to make some plays against Jax and make Teddy comfortable *if* the line plays like they’re able to.

 

[kennydfresh]

UPDATE: (Doesn't the headband look like a jockstrap?)

OMG this is what I gotta deal with on Sunday. I hope I'm sitting near Saints Fans this week.

 

[BiloxiSaint1]

I hope I'm sitting near Saints Fans this week.

Bring some extra pants just in case! Lol

 

[Charlie Brizzown]

In the 6 games we've ever played against the Jaguars, the Saints have only beaten them once in Jacksonville. I don't like those odds.

What are the odds exactly?

 

[Paul]

Respect your opponent.
Then dismantle them.

 

[LogeEndZone]

In the 6 games we've ever played against the Jaguars, the Saints have only beaten them once in Jacksonville. I don't like those odds.

The other way to look at that is the Saints haven't lost in Jacksonville (or to the Jaguars, period) in 16 years. The last time was the River City Relay. Ditka was the coach in the loss before that. Streaks don't mean much when games occur as often as the Olympics.