The Saints defense is good, but it has a major problem that can no longer be ignored

In the three years prior to this season, the New Orleans Saints were a mediocre football team. They missed the playoffs all three years, and put together a combined record of 25-26. However, through those down seasons, there was a shining light: the defense.

The Saints defense is seemingly good every season, and that includes the years when the team was just average. New Orleans missed the playoffs in 2021, 2022, and 2023, but in those seasons, the Saints only allowed 19.7 (4th in NFL), 20.3 (9th in NFL), and 19.2 (8th in NFL) points per game.

This season, the defense has picked up right where it left off, allowing only 17.5 points per game, which is good for sixth best in the league.

As good as New Orleans’ defensive unit is playing, the group has carried over one fatal flaw that’s plagued them in recent years. That flaw is late game defense. Despite putting together great defensive games, the Saints have struggled to get stops in game-deciding situations.

Saints’ defense has a problem delivering in clutch time

New Orleans’ fans have witnessed this in the last two weeks of the season, seeing the Saints fall to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons. The defense only allowed 15 points against Philly, and 12 against the Falcons (Atlanta finished with 26 points because of a special teams and defensive touchdown).

While that’s not a lot of points in either game, the offense put the defense on the field with a lead and less than two minutes to go in both games. Against the Eagles, the Saints allowed them to drive 69 yards in five plays in just one minute for a game-winning touchdown. Against Atlanta, New Orleans had a 30-yard pass interference call, and that’s all the Falcons needed to kick the game-winning field goal.

Unfortunately for Saints fans, this isn’t a new experience. Under Dennis Allen, New Orleans is 0-4 when opponents start drives between 2:30 and one minute, down by six or less.

It happened twice in the 2022 season, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Cincinnati Bengals, and has already happened twice this season.

Simply put, the defense hasn’t been clutch. With that being the case, New Orleans has a pretty low ceiling. To win in this league, you have to be great when your greatness is needed most. The Saints defense hasn’t been able to do that. If they could, New Orleans would be an undefeated team. If Dennis Allen and the defense can’t figure it out, there will be many more heartbreaks ahead for the Saints.

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