Saints Once Dominant Defense Is A Thing Of The Past

New Orleans turned in one of the most disappointing defensive performances in team history on Sunday.

Oct 13, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker (44) runs against New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The once-proud New Orleans Saints' dominant defense seems to exist no longer. On Sunday, the Saints were shredded in every which way, starting a disturbing trend only six weeks into the season. Tampa Bay rushed for 277 yards, en route to amassing the most total yards in a game (594) in franchise history. The Buccaneers averaged 7.9 yards a carry in a game where the Saints' defense appeared to give up late in the second half.

Bucs running back Sean Tucker led the ground attack with a game-high 136 yards rushing. The former undrafted back had just 30 yards total rushing the ball since joining the NFL last season. Tampa Bay scored 51 points on Sunday, the most given up by a Saints team since 2012, and it was the second time in franchise history that the opposing team scored 50 or more points in the Superdome.

This performance comes off the heels of last Monday's game versus the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for 139 yards compared to the Saints' 49. Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt rushed for 102 yards, his first 100-yard rushing game since 2020. New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen admitted to the poor defensive performance after the game on Sunday.

"I thought our tackling was atrocious," Allen candidly told reporters after the game. "That's two weeks in a row that we haven't done a good job tackling, and that's probably our biggest concern."

Poor tackling has been an issue for New Orleans all season. They entered Sunday's game ranked dead last in defensive yards after the catch, and on Sunday, it was much of the same despite the defense forcing three turnovers. Coach Allen said something needs to change quickly before Thursday's game against the Broncos. Realistically, can anything change?

The Saints are an older team defensively, and they're beginning to show their age. Veteran defensive end Cam Jordan has not recorded a sack in six games this season and is only credited with six tackles. Despite getting an interception on Sunday, the 35-year-old has made little to no impact this year.

Linebacker Demario Davis looks to be finally showing his age on the field. He missed Week 3's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, his first missed game due to injury of his career. He appears to be a step slower this season, and with Pete Warner's recent injury, even more responsibility is on Davis at the linebacker position.

There is also the issue with Paulson Adebo's over-aggressiveness in the secondary. He is the most penalized cornerback in the league and has amassed a pass interference or holding call in every game this year. Saints safety Tyrann Matthieu left Sunday's game with an injury and did not return, which was the second time this year.

New Orleans has significant issues on defense, and they cannot seem to fix them currently. Defense is Allen's calling card, but Sunday may have been an all-time low for him and the Saints. The days of a dominating defense in the Dome are gone, and now the team is reeling on a four-game losing streak that must end soon, or their season is over.

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