NEW ORLEANS — The 2023 New Orleans Saints have had so much go wrong and fans and media are arguing over so many things, something of massive importance has slipped under the radar – Dennis Allen’s once great defense has completely collapsed.
The Saints advanced metrics would tell you it’s a pretty good defense and the fact the Saints are 6th in turnovers created helped hide the issues early in the season which are suddenly as obvious as a broken down car on your neighbor’s lawn.
The Saints once brick wall run defense is 27th in NFL, giving up 4.5 yards a carry. Here are the rushing yards allowed since week 8: 164, 156, 125, 228, 142.
Gross.
The Saints have just 19 sacks on the season. Only the Bears have less.
So, to recap, the Saints can neither stop teams from running the ball, nor can they affect the quarterback in any meaningful way with their pass rush.
This is a complete and utter defensive crack-up. We’ve reached the point with Dennis Allen where we are at the famous scene from the movie Office Space where someone is asked, “What would you say you do here?”
If your defensive-oriented head coach has a suspect defense, it’s all bad.
Lots has been made of the Saints defense’s recent struggles covering tight ends. Here are the last four tight ends to face the Saints:
Cole Kmet - 6 catches for 55 yards, 2 TDs
TJ Hockenson - 11 catches for 134 yards, TD
Kyle Pitts - 2 catches for 22 yards
Sam LaPorta - 9 catches for 140 yards, TD
Let’s all take a moment to laugh at the Falcons drafting a tight end fourth who can’t even cook the Saints defense, which is currently the equivalent of bacon in a frying pan.
The thing is, the Saints getting destroyed by tight ends isn’t the reason the defense is getting dismantled weekly, it’s just a symptom of the disintegration of a once proud unit.
This isn’t really fixable and the word on the street is out. Dan Campbell, on the Lion's opening drive, jammed the ball down Dennis Allen’s defense’s throat on the ground and the Saints just took it.
The Saints are awful against the run and the loss of their best run defender Malcolm Roach to injury, likely means it’s going to get worse.
The Carolina Panthers are going to run the ball until the Saints stop it. The Panthers may rush the ball 40 plus times Sunday if the Saints continue to play run defense like they have lately.
The Saints had a season-high high of missed tackles against the Lions, which to me is a sign the defense is both getting abused and is losing faith. It’s difficult to maintain intensity, focus, and effort when you are repeatedly getting punched in the face.
Dennis Allen was hired to replace Sean Payton mainly because he helped build an elite defense starting in 2017, and now it’s dissolved. If Allen has any hope of survival it has to start with a solution on defense.
Saints Mood and Meditation Music: Don’t Dream It’s Over – Crowded House
Lot’s of Saints say they are ready to start over, be terrible, and hope for a brighter future in a few years or whatever. Not me. The NFL wilderness might be three short years like the Houston Texans, or it might be 30-plus years like Washington. Does Washington look at all different from five years ago or 10?
I’ll never go willingly into the NFL wilderness, but a loss to either the Panthers or Giants, and the Saints are officially deep in the wilderness with no guarantee they’ll escape soon. I’m going to need a moment.
The Games
Last Week: 2-3
Season: 29-26
Carolina (+6) at New Orleans: The Panthers are so indescribably bad, but I’ll try. They are 29th in points scored, 31st in points allowed and the quarterback they mortgaged their future for is historically terrible. Ben, my pal on X, tweeted out this. Bryce Young is HISTORICALLY AWFUL. Worse than any quarterback you can think of. He doesn’t have the arm to throw deep, so rarely tries. He also isn’t accurate on short throws and doesn’t run much because he’s not an elite, athletic quarterback. All bad.
The Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich 11 games into his first season because the Panthers owner had to blame someone for the mess I guess.
The Saints should win this game, but when a team can’t stop the run, the possibility of losing to any team at any time materializes.
The good news for the Saints is the Panthers are just as bad as the Saints at run defense, giving up 125 yards a game. Whichever team runs the ball the best is probably going to win.
Will the Saints start Derek Carr or Jameis Winston? I’d go with Taysom Hill. Run the ball down Carolina’s throat until they stop it. Get weird with Taysom Hill running the single wing or something. It’d at least excite the fans who do show up on Sunday.
I’ll be in the Caesar’s Superdome, and I expect it to be about half full, and those of us who do show up are going to have zero patience. Saints, I know you have trouble showing up for kickoff every week, but if you start slow Sunday, we are going to boo you into oblivion.
This really is do or die for Dennis Allen. There’s no surviving a loss to the 1-11 Panthers at home. DA will keep his and the Saints flickering hopes alive. Barely.
Saints 19-13
Tampa Bay (+3) at Atlanta: The Falcons really beat up the Bucs during their last meeting, but two hilarious Desmond Ridder fumbles kept it close. God, I don’t ask for much, please give me the 3-way 6-7 tie for first in the NFC South. I need laughs.
Bucs 23-20
Los Angeles Rams (+7) at Baltimore: The Rams have gotten young and good on defense rapidly after their Super Bowl win. It’s annoying.
Rams 26-21
Houston (-6) vs the New York Jets: The Jets can’t score. Not in the rain, not in a dome, not anywhere.
Texans 23-6
Denver (+3) at Los Angeles Chargers: Sean Payton just out here grinding the Broncos to 9 wins. Bothersome. That 2024 draft pick is depreciating faster than a Bitcoin gift card.
Broncos 17-13
Ralph Malbrough is a contributing writer and Saints fan living in Houston. Email him at saintshappyhour@gmail.com, find him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter at @SaintsForecast or download the Saints Happy Hour Podcast.