Notes on defensive negatives in Saints win against Chargers

The Saints pulled off a much-needed, miraculous win going into their bye week. But it’s important not to overlook the things that dragged them down in the game. Here are a few notes on some things the defense will need to improve on moving forward.

Adjusting to new roles

I’ve been one of the voices calling for the Saints to bench Laurinaitis, and when Dannell Ellerbe returns, I’ll stand by that opinion. But the linebacker play without Laurinaitis could have been better. Most concerning was Craig Robertson’s performance in his new middle linebacker assignment. Robertson had an uncharacteristic night, missing a few tackles and struggling in coverage, most notably on the blown assignment in the first quarter for the Chargers first touchdown. If Laurinaitis continues to sit, let’s hope that the bye week gives Robertson time to better adjust to his new role.

Nate Stupar, who saw an increase of snaps in Laurinaitis’ absence, also didn’t set the world on fire. But he did have eight solo tackles and recovered the second fumble to set up the Saints’ winning score, so there’s reason for optimism.  

Vonn Bell got the starting nod in place of Jairus Byrd, and the rookie generally had a solid game. There was just one major exception. Every Saints fan knows what I’m talking about. He took a horrible angle and over-pursued on Dontrelle Inman’s 57 yard touchdown in the second quarter. That’s a rookie mistake, but likely one that Byrd would not have made. Bell otherwise looked explosive and intuitive, so there’s no cause for concern. But there will be growing pains for the rook.

Uncharacteristic performances

Across from Bell, Kenny Vaccaro had an uncharacteristically poor performance. No doubt he was hindered by a bum ankle he suffered late in the Giants game. But it’s uncomfortable to watch Vaccaro, who is typically the team’s most explosive defender miss tackles. He says that he will get treatment for his ankle over the bye week, so hopefully we’ll see him return to full strength for the Panthers game.

Pass Rush

The first half of the game exemplified what’s been wrong with this Saints defense through four games. When rushing four, there’s simply no pass rush. I’m concerned that there’s been no improvement in this department. Yes, Dennis Allen can mitigate that by bringing blitzes which he did in the second half. But until this secondary gets healthy, blitzing will be a risk. Paul Kruger in particular, who was brought in to help fix this unit has been a disappointment. I’d like to see the Saints work in more stunts, but winning one-on-one battles on the line will be key going forward.

Nick Fairley, meanwhile, has had good and bad moments, but at least he’s generating pressure.

Blown Assignments

I’ve mentioned the Craig Robertson blown assignment in the first quarter. Equally distressing was the blown coverage on Inman’s 57 yarder. Ken Crawley, who otherwise had a very solid game, failed to jam Inman at the line, then played poor coverage on the go route. Crawley confusingly looked to cover in the flat, though the rest of the team seemed to be in man coverage. It seems like every game Crawley has one key mistake, but he’s young and there’s been far more good than bad.
Vonn Bell also could have chosen to cover Inman rather than float to the middle of the field. But the mistake was not egregious.

Missed tackles

Finally, the defense just missed too many tackles. Far too often the Chargers would throw short of the first down mark on third and long, but Saints defenders failed to make the stop. One or two such mistakes are understandable, but when it becomes a pattern it becomes reason for concern. The team will have to clean that up moving forward.