New Orleans Saints: Will defense continue hot streak?
Despite it only being preseason, the New Orleans Saints defense is playing great but will the team be able to produce the same in the regular season?
With three out of the four preseason games in the books, the New Orleans Saints have been doing great and it’s not because of their offense. Well, their offense has been reasonable, but their defense has people talking. Even with the loss of Nick Fairley and a handful of rookies, the defense has been impressive. But will this trend follow into the regular season?
In the Saints-Chargers game, there was a lot of talk about Alvin Kamara and rightfully so. However, the defense put together a solid performance, too. The defense racked up eight sacks and an interception via Adam Bighill. The game also marked first-round rookie Marshon Lattimore’s first action since being drafted.
Lattimore wasn’t really the star of the night, though. That had to be Manti Te’o, the former Charger turned Saint at linebacker. Te’o alone had a recovered fumble, a sack and eight tackles. This is the guy the Saints have been hoping for. Even though it’s only preseason, Te’o is already playing like a starter and, when paired with A.J. Klein, could be dangerous.
Fast forward to the game against the Houston Texans, which was a blowout. Not allowing any points is an accomplishment in itself. The game was full of sacks, mostly by rookies and a lot of action from Lattimore. Also, the defense again came up with an interception, this one via Damian Swann.
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There are a few keys for the Saints in staying consistent on defense heading into the regular season. The first being to not give up big plays, something they haven’t so far in the preseason. Going against a first-team is going to be tougher, but they need to stand their ground. They almost shut out both the Chargers and the Texans, because of that. If they have some good pass breakups and an interception or two, then they’re golden.
The other key for the regular season is getting takeaways. Last season, the Saints could barely get any. This preseason, however, they’ve managed an interception in the each of the past two games. While they might not get that in the regular season, getting an interception, recovered fumble or even breaking up a pass will put them miles ahead of last season.
The third and final key is working together. Even without Cameron Jordan out there, the team still came together and was able to produce. In the regular season, the defense will have the leadership of Jordan and Klein to guide them. If the defense can stay on the same page, then their hot streak is definitely going to continue.
Next: NFL Power Rankings 2017: Preseason Week 4
It’s hard to predict how good they’ll be in a regular season, but I can say, they’re better off now than they were last season. It’s a small step forward, but one that’s working out in their favor for now. If they can even keep playing with even half this effort, the Saints defense will be one to watch out for.