Only healthy defenders will keep Saints alive

By Chris Cluff  |   Tuesday, November 13, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

New Orleans Saints
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It certainly shouldn't be shocking that the New Orleans Saints lost to the previously winless St. Louis Rams. After all, the Saints were winless themselves a month into the season. Had they met then, it wouldn't have been a surprise to see the Rams win.

The Rams' terrible start could be attributed largely to an unbelievable number of injuries on offense. Likewise, the Saints' loss to the Rams could be explained in much the same way. And if the Saints don't start to get healthy, there's no way they will finish off the comeback from 0-4 and make the playoffs for the second straight year.

They played against the Rams without three defensive starters - end Charles Grant, tackle Brian Young and linebacker Scott Shanle. And then the offense - already without Deuce McAllister - lost left tackle Jammal Brown and running back Reggie Bush.

Bush suffered a mild concussion in the fourth quarter but returned to finish the game, while Brown left with an injury to his lower leg. Both should be back this week, coach Sean Payton said.

If they are, the offense should remain potent, as it was in the Saints' four-game winning streak. But the defense figures to remain a problem for the rest of the season. Young is still out indefinitely, while Grant and Shanle may or may not be ready for Houston on Sunday.

If they are out again, it won't help a unit that ranks 25th in the league and is giving up 251 passing yards per game. Because of their various injuries along the front seven, the Saints have been unable to pressure opposing offenses very much, and the secondary has not been good enough to make up for it.

"They [the Rams] cut us up on third down," D-tackle Hollis Thomas told reporters. "We couldn't get off the field on third down. We didn't have enough pressure on the quarterback to make him have some errant throws, and pass defense starts with pressure up front."

When the defense fails to get pressure, it puts pressure on its own offense. But Drew Brees and the Saints have been far too inconsistent, so it would be asking too much to expect them to win shootouts every week. Last week, they couldn't keep up with the Rams. The Saints were giving slack on both ends, and the Rams used all the extra the rope to hang them.

New Orleans needs to tighten up its defense, something the Saints might not be able to do even if they are healthy. But if they continue to play without key defenders, the offense will continue to feel the pressure, and the Saints won't have a chance to rally for a playoff spot.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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