On Sunday, the New Orleans Saints play the desperate Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This game was one that probably wasn’t circled when the schedule came out earlier this year. However, it’s as critical as any. The season is now in the final quarter. Four games are left, yet much hasn’t been decided as of Week 14. And these last four games will test the Saints secondary greatly.
The New Orleans Saints Secondary Needs to Step Up
Defense Is Showing Signs of Improvement
While it’s true that the Saints have made some significant strides in the secondary, there still lies a problem. First, the good news. In the last three games, the Saints have only allowed 229 yards passing. For the season, it’s much higher. The season average hovers close to 280 yards per game. This is a good reason to be optimistic. The acquisition of cornerback Eli Apple seems to be paying off. Although the sample size is still small.
By the same token, the Saints have really made a dent in points allowed in the last three games. Actually, counting the last four puts the Saints FIRST in points allowed. That was not a misprint. The Saints are playing better than anyone in the NFL the last four games, give or take some of the other categories. This is not a fluke. Additionally, taking the whole season, the Saints still sit about average giving up about 22 points a game. Surely, the defense has to be proud of this progress going into the most important stretch of the season.
The Final Four Are Offensive Juggernauts
On the other hand, some of this progress is a bit misleading. None of those teams except for the Atlanta Falcons have an offense in the top 10. This changes starting this Sunday against the Buccaneers. Surprisingly, the Bucs have the NUMBER ONE offense in the NFL at the moment. The Bucs are averaging 442 yards on total offense per game. Regardless of the outcome Sunday, the secondary for the Black and Gold still has to shape up.
While opening day occurred months ago against Tampa Bay, the Bucs nearly hung fifty points on the Saints from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Perhaps it was a fluke. The first game of the season is always an anomaly. The Buccaneers also started off 2-0 and were supposed to be the surprise contender in the NFC. Since then, the Bucs have gone 3-7. Still, the offense is legitimate.
What’s also important to note is every single team left on the Saints schedule is ranked in the top 10 for total offense. Likewise, the quarterbacks the Saints are going to be facing will be Cam Newton twice, Ben Roethlisberger, and Jameis Winston. All three of these players can cause havoc for any secondary. But the bigger problem is the running capability for each. Remember, Fitzpatrick burned the Saints with some critical runs down the stretch.
Of course, the Saints control their own destiny. Winning three of four guarantees a first-round bye. Even two wins may do it. But there’s still plenty of football to be played in 2018 before the playoffs. Moreover, the biggest tests against the Saints defense is coming in bunches the last four games. Win this Sunday and things are fine. If the Saints fall again, the playoff picture gets murky.
