Why the Saints will Return to the Super Bowl this Year - Defense (1 Viewer)

Swimmer

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No Who Dat needs to belabor our defensive problems over the past decade or more. Regardless of the reasons, it was simply lack of elite talent: elite, physical beasts, with unstoppable drive and high football IQ.

We have all watched some of the better defensive teams stacked with 3 to 5 of these elite defenders, players who can and do make great game-changing plays with the game of the line.

Finally, the Saints defense is stocked with those elite level defenders:
- Cam Jordan
- Marshon Lattimore
- Demario Davis
- Anzalone
- Unfortunately out for most of the year, Sheldon Rankins

That's enough for a Top 10 defense alone. But there is more.
- Marcus Williams fits that mold except for the football IQ piece. However, I think the kid is smart, but didn't play to expectations last year recovering from the Minny debacle and the coaches adding significantly new roles to his primary 1st-year role of being the last line of defense, at which he was superb as a Rookie
- Malcolm Brown fits that elite role as a Manster space-eater who will shine in our 4-3 defense versus the 3-4 where he faced double teams on nearly every play and was still effective
- Then there's the wildcard to be discussed in a minute

The rest of the defense has physically gifted players who are solid to really good but just not elite: Bell, Klein, Eli Apple, PJ and I'll throw in the rookie last year Stallworth with a caveat of too early to tell for sure.

And now let's add The Monster. Marcus Davenport is a Von Bell, JJ Watt type talent. He came from a new University small school program with very limited coaching and conditioning programs. Even after his very limiting and painful injury, he was a monster against the run and occasionally disruptive on pass rushes even though he had no initial push from his toe injury. With one year under pro-level conditioning, training, coaching and education, he will step-up this year to create havoc. Defenses can't double Jordan and Davenport. These two will be lethal. With these two on the edge and occasionally Jordan moved inside on 3rd downs, adding Brown to stuff up the middle against the run and push the pocket back right up the middle which is so disruptive to QBs, this defense will be flat-out nasty and game-changing. And Bell is simply money.

This defense will be the best we have seen in black and gold since the Dome Patrol and may actually rise to compare with some of the Dome Patrol teams. Sean Payton is going to have a field day with his offensive genius knowing that he finally has a great, game-changing defense. Book your flights to the Super Bowl and enjoy this defense brutalizing many offenses!
 
Don't forget David Onyemata...............he made huge progress last season and could be primed for a break-out this year.

This could be the nastiest Saints defense we've seen in a loooooooonnnnnngggggg time..................so yeah......................what Swimmer said!!:p
 
Don't forget David Onyemata...............he made huge progress last season and could be primed for a break-out this year.

This could be the nastiest Saints defense we've seen in a loooooooonnnnnngggggg time..................so yeah......................what Swimmer said!!:p


Absolutely!

The only reason the league doesn't know about Onyematta is bc of Rankins.

Trust me.... they gon learn today!

That man, is a bad bad man...

Onyematta is as quick as an edge but stronger then an ox!

His second half of the season last year was elite!

He was so Raw when we drafted him out of Manitoba Canada. Playing with only 3 years of experience. Well my friends I think we are finally getting the fruits of our labor. It's going to be a very very good meal!
 
Don't forget David Onyemata...............he made huge progress last season and could be primed for a break-out this year.

This could be the nastiest Saints defense we've seen in a loooooooonnnnnngggggg time..................so yeah......................what Swimmer said!!:p

Leave it to you Renegadwa to fill in the massive piece I flat out missed. Thanks so much. And Onyemata is a physical beast whose still learning the game. It looks like the light went on for him this year. He's nasty and I love that in black and gold.

Thanks so much for adding this big piece - literally
 
A Swimmer post always makes for a better day.

Can't wait for the season opener.

Thanks so much for the kind words J. We are blessed to have so many smart and cool Who Dats on Saints Report. I appreciate so many of the Who Dats who share their insights from which I learn much! Who Dat Brother!
 
Rankins will be missed, but Onyemata might have his best year. Can't wait to see this Defense work together. A few guys i'll be watching on the line are Mario Edwards Jr. ( checkout Edwards twitter page) and Shy "King Tut" Tuttle ( Nielsen tried to recruit Tuttle back in 2014, so he knows him good.) . LBer Kaden Elliss and Porter Gustin. CB/ S Gardner- Johnson, Hampton, and one player that might surprise Terrell Williams.
 
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Great job, Swimmer! :9:

2 things the D ( and the entire team for that matter) needs to avoid this year are: injuries....and another SLOW start in play early in the season! :rant:

Man, we haven’t won a season opener since 2013! It’s been so long I had to look that one up! ?I understand a 19 game season is not a sprint but a marathon. But jus look at our first 4 games this year. All 4 are against teams that made the playoffs last year, and 3 are against conference foes!

We simply CANNOT afford another slow start on D this year! After winning back to back division championships, we ain’t sneaking up on anybody anymore either. In fact, we’ll be looked upon as one of the favs vying for a SB run. Therefore, IMO, it’s important, even imperative, that we come out gate faster than we have in the past.

Of course, there’ll be some tweaks here and there. But no need for reinventing the wheel, or for overly complicated schemes on D this year. We have BOTH the talent AND the coaching! So put the players in positions to do what they do BEST which will allow them to play FAS:

Fast n Aggressive, but Smart!

Moreover, if the D gets off to a solid/good start, it sets a better TONE, and can only build CONFIDENCE for play during the season!

Dare I say, SWAGGER???

Stay tuned!
 
I just clicked to see if Swimmer would use the word Manster, and I was not disappointed. ?

lmao. Lattimore - you have an hysterical smart arse sense of humor. Absolutely brilliant. Who Dat Brother! And when Brown stuffs the run up the middle freeing Damario, Anzalone and Bell to roam free and create turnovers and general mayhem, please feel free to call him Manster any time you would like - lol.
 
Great job, Swimmer! :9:

2 things the D ( and the entire team for that matter) needs to avoid this year are: injuries....and another SLOW start in play early in the season! :rant:

Man, we haven’t won a season opener since 2013! It’s been so long I had to look that one up! ?I understand a 19 game season is not a sprint but a marathon. But jus look at our first 4 games this year. All 4 are against teams that made the playoffs last year, and 3 are against conference foes!

We simply CANNOT afford another slow start on D this year! After winning back to back division championships, we ain’t sneaking up on anybody anymore either. In fact, we’ll be looked upon as one of the favs vying for a SB run. Therefore, IMO, it’s important, even imperative, that we come out gate faster than we have in the past.

Of course, there’ll be some tweaks here and there. But no need for reinventing the wheel, or for overly complicated schemes on D this year. We have BOTH the talent AND the coaching! So put the players in positions to do what they do BEST which will allow them to play FAS:

Fast n Aggressive, but Smart!

Moreover, if the D gets off to a solid/good start, it sets a better TONE, and can only build CONFIDENCE for play during the season!

Dare I say, SWAGGER???

Stay tuned!

Great stuff Cougar! Thanks so much for the insights!

After the Ram loss, I was numb for about a week. Then the emotions rolled in and I was seriously POd, flat out angry. It took me a while to even think about the NFL without getting upset. Now my emotions have settled and what I see about this team is greatness and I'm ready to enjoy this team. Hump helped me a lot to get over the negativity - and I'm really grateful to him for being such an awesome Who Dat Brother!.

We went 13-2 last year with one of the toughest schedules in the league that included a freakin 5-6 game gauntlet against many of the best teams in the league with some terrible freak scheduling. That's domination and I don't see how this team is not better than last year.

I know Coach Pete is really concerned about the team's ability to get back up to championship caliber play after the last 2 season ending heartbreaks, but I think Coach Payton is a motivational genius and we all know how determined Brees will be to get that 2nd SB so he can go down as the 2nd greatest QB to ever play the game. Brees will "will" us to win some big games this year.
 
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Rankins will be missed, but Onyemata might have his best year. Can't wait to see this Defense work together. A few guys i'll be watching on the line are Mario Edwards Jr. ( checkout Edwards twitter page) and Shy "King Tut" Tuttle ( Nielsen tried to recruit Tuttle back in 2014, so he knows him good.) . LBer Kaden Elliss and Porder Gustin. CB/ S Gardner- Johnson, Hampton, and one player that might surprise Terrell Williams.

Good post bleedit! :9:

I’ll have to look up some on Tuttle n Williams, but the rest are on already my watch list too!

Onyemata’s college coach predicted his play would “turn the corner” by his third year, and it did!

But after the draft, I took issue with those who felt that we were so “loaded”, very few rooks, if ANY, would make the 53.

I know it’s early, but IF things go well, I think there’s a good chance that Gardner-Johnson, Hampton, Elliss and Gustin could ALL make the 53!

We’ll see!
 

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