USA TODAY International Edition
Saints’ defense has Super Bowl potential
This is the defense we were expecting to see all summer. The Saints turned up the heat on Drew Brees and his offense throughout training camp, but it took some time for it to reappear once they started playing other teams.
On Sunday night, they gave the people what they wanted. New Orleans won in every phase of the game, defending the run and pass with equal efficiency.
They limited the Buccaneers to an NFL- record- low five carries for 8 rushing yards. The Saints have now played 51 consecutive games without allowing a 100- yard rusher, tying the Rams for the second- longest streak in NFL history. Next up is the modern era champion Eagles, who played 53 games without allowing anyone to pass that milestone.
Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady was under siege from the first play of the game, with big defensive end Cameron Jordan leading the charge by hitting Brady right off the bat. In total, the Saints’ pass rush racked up three sacks and nine quarterback hits.
When Brady did get a throw off, the secondary was there, intercepting him three times. Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore had his best game of the season, erasing No. 1 wide receiver Mike Evans and batting down two passes, including a crucial fourth- andgoal fade to Evans to force a turnover on downs.
It’s rare to see everything go your
way in the NFL, but the Saints’ defense won’t walk away from this one with much room to improve. They were tremendous on third and fourth down, allowing just one conversion on 12 attempts from the Tampa Bay offense. That’s unreal.
So here’s some much- needed props to Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and his squad. They have rebounded incredibly well from an ugly start to the season, and deserve all the praise coming their way. If the Saints are going to win a second Super Bowl this season, it will be because the defense doesn’t let off the gas from now until February.