The New Orleans Saints defense put up some of the worst numbers last year; the Spagnola Strategy just didn’t work. Now with new defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan, and his new 3-4 approach, do the Saints look any better than last year? Given the number of injuries the defense has suffered in the preseason, do they even have a snowball’s chance of redeeming themselves?
With the recent season ending injury to Will Smith, Victor Butler also likely out for the year, and nagging injuries for Martez Wilson (elbow) and Junior Galette (leg), the Saints seem to be particularly hard hit at the outside linebacker position that is so key to the 3-4.
The return of head coach Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis brought with them the promise of a better year. With the new year came a new defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan, whose years with the New England Patriots (2000-2003) as a linebacker s coach saw great success, ranking 1st in the NFL with fewest points allowed and 7th overall in total defense. Ryan’s unit contributed to one of the best total defenses in franchise history, allowing just 17 points per game.
Defensive coordinator position however hasn’t been so kind and defenses in his succession have regressed since 2004. His tenure with the Dallas Cowboys (2011-2012) proved to be uneventful and his defense kept them out of the playoffs, thus leading the Cowboys to release him in January 2013. The New Orleans Saints then signed him in February with the hopes that his approach would be well received by defense and bring a ray of hope to an ailing defense.
The amount of injuries to the defense so early isn’t a good sign and could prove fatal to the Saints achieving the ultimate goal; the Lombardi Trophy. It sometimes seems that the pieces of the puzzle never seem to fit for the Saints; hopefully Brees and the boys can hold it together.
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