We’ll begin by confirming what you probably already know – it is very hard to arrive at any definitive conclusions based on a few plays in the first preseason game. In the months to come, we will probably realize that we learned very little about the 2015 Saints defense from the game in Baltimore on Thursday. However, as it is the first Saints football we’ve seen for over 7 months, we couldn’t resist in jotting down a few of our (subjective) observations about the defensive showing. Mostly about individual performances rather than scheme, as what we saw in terms of formation/defensive playcalling was undoubtedly vanilla.
Each week of the preseason we’re going to begin our “musings” with a Stock Watch Table, which somewhat crudely depicts the six Saints who we believe improved their stock the most in that particular game, along with the six who we think did themselves little to no favors. You can see our table following the Ravens game below:
Saints defensive “stock watch” following the Ravens preseason game.
If you like a little more depth to your analysis though, then you may want to read on to find out exactly why we’ve arrived at the above conclusions.
UPDATE: Our Updated Stock watch and analysis of the Saints offense against Baltimore is now live also. Click here to check it out.
Defensive Linemen
On a number of early downs we were greeted by the slightly worrying sight of big Kevin Williams being manhandled at the line of scrimmage by the powerful Baltimore offensive front. The Saints potentially need Williams to step up and take starting reps along the defensive line. Very early days at this stage, and as a 12 year veteran we are sure there was an element of “cruise control” about his performance, but he did not look much like a starter on Thursday’s evidence.
Much is expected of John Jenkins this year and, contrary to some commentary we have read, we thought he had a relatively steady first series against the Baltimore offensive front. He was occupying two offensive linemen on most run plays and fought through them for 3 stops on the drive, before spending the rest of the game on the sideline. The concern remains Jenkins inability to generate any kind of pass rush, but we would not expect him to be on the field on 3rd and long situations.
Due to the injury to Akiem Hicks, Bobby Richardson also got action with the 1s. The fact he got first team reps is a reflection of his stock at this stage and although he didn’t “win” much up front on the opening series, he occupied offensive linemen and stood his ground reasonably well.
After the first series, Tyeler Davison, Ashaad Mabry and Tavaris Barnes came in to play up front. Of the trio, NT Ashaad Mabry seemed to struggle the most, failing to generate any kind of push up the middle and losing 2-3 yards regularly on rushing downs. Tyeler Davison was marginally more effective, but it was Tavaris Barnes who stood out for us as the “best of a bad bunch” in the 2nd team defensive line. Barnes fought hard up front and seemed to be about the only down lineman who made any (albeit very limited) headway on passing downs in the first half.
Props should also go to undrafted rookie Kaleb Eulls, who came in late and made several eye-catching plays. It is difficult to get too excited about plays against the 3s/4s in the second half of preseason games, but Eulls certainly caught the eye both against the run and in the pass rush. With nobody else really shining in the 1s/2s, hopefully we will see Eulls get his chance up front in tougher company in the weeks to come.
Overall, as a unit the defensive linemen played solidly enough against the run on the day. Perhaps the main takeaway is that, at this point in time, the coaching staff sees Bobby Richardson as the “best of the rest” up front. But it remains a very congested battle for roster spots (and playing time) along the defensive front. The key criticism of the line (which may be familiar), was the almost complete lack of push up the middle on passing downs. With the edge rush also struggling, it gave the Raven QBs far too much time in the pocket.
Defensive Ends
A relatively quiet day for Cameron Jordan, playing only the first series (and never really leaving second gear). Aside from one successful pass rush, he neither “won” nor “lost” much up front. But of all of the front-seven defensive starters, Jordan is probably one who is the biggest “lock” to start, so his preseason performance is really only for show.
It was far more interesting to watch Edebali, Kikaha and Spencer, who are engaged in a competitive position battle. Of the trio, it was veteran Anthony Spencer who stood out the most on Thursday. Spencer played with great energy and caused constant problems for Baltimore’s second string offensive linemen, getting a couple of QB hurries in the process. Spencer also seemed equally comfortable playing the run, recording a couple of stops in the process. Early days, but encouraging signs from a veteran that Rob Ryan knows well. He just needs to remember where the line of scrimmage is – two unnecessary penalties will have frustrated Payton and the staff.
Hau’oli Kikaha seemed to be playing in coverage on a number of downs rather than just pinning back his ears and rush the passer. This was almost certainly by design – the Saints need to know exactly what they have in Kikaha – is he just a situational pass rusher in the Galette mould, or can he be a more complete “every down” DE/OLB hybrid? It was difficult to draw any conclusions on Thursday’s limited evidence, but I expect we will see more of Kikaha next week.
Our main disappointment on the day of the DE/OLB trio was Kasim Edebali. We have read a great deal of praise for Edebali during camp, and were keen to see what he could bring to the table in “competitive” action. The Saints coaching staff were clearly keen too – giving Edebali an extended 59 snap audition (by far the most of any Saints defender, which is significant). Frustratingly, Kasim did very little with it. He only really got into the QB’s vicinity twice on nearly 30 pass rushes, failing to record a hit or a sack. Bearing in mind most of this action was against the Baltimore 2s and 3s, we find that very disappointing. He also had a somewhat glaring missed tackle. If Edebali was a rookie making his debut or a veteran assured of his spot, you may give him a pass, but he is neither. It will be interesting to see if he gets extended action again. Our suspicion is that Kikaha (or even Spencer) will get a good chunk of those 59 snaps in the next preseason outing.
One thing that is clear is that we are no closer to knowing where the Saints pass rush will come from without Junior Galette. Over 800 snaps are available following Junior’s departure. In the context of this position battle, the fact that the Saints outside pass rush failed to even lay a hit on Baltimore QBs (let alone a sack) was worrying.
Linebackers
The play from Saints linebackers was marginally more encouraging on the day. The coaching staff employed a very heavy rotation (with only Ramon Humber and David Hawthorne seeing more than 30 snaps on the day). The two veterans performed solidly enough, albeit in “second gear”. Most black and gold eyes were on the newcomers, however.
Rookie Stephone Anthony carried himself relatively well at the vacated MLB position. It was a big day for Anthony, playing his first “competitive” snaps in the black and gold, and he finished with 5 stops. He was, however, at fault for the 3rd and 7 scramble by Joe Flacco which was the real “swing” play of the opening drive. Anthony had an excellent opportunity to contain Flacco but seemed slightly lost and bit badly on a pump fake to give Flacco the edge. The coaching staff seems to be willing to give Anthony every chance to win the starting MLB role in Arizona in 4 weeks time, though, which is exciting to see.
Dannell Ellerbe made an encouraging debut (before being sidelined through injury). He looked very strong against the run, making an excellent stop on the goalline to set up the 4th and goal (which the Ravens duly converted after Ellerbe had headed for the sideline). Positive signs from Ellerbe, at a position where the Saints need to upgrade.
Of the second half backups, Henry Coley caught the eye at linebacker. Coley brought great energy to the game and seemed comfortable both playing the run and playing in coverage. He also managed to get to the QB on a blitz, which was something no other Saint did on the day. Of course, all of Coley’s energetic efforts were against the Baltimore 3rd and 4th stringers. Much like Kaleb Eulls, it will be interesting to see if he is given a more extended audition against better company next week. Linebackers Markus Pierce-Brewster and Jerry Franklin also enjoyed second half action, with Pierce-Brewster being employed more as an OLB/DE, but both were altogether less eye-catching than the impressive Coley.
Cornerbacks
A position battle we have not yet keyed in on in our training camp articles is the ongoing tussle at CB. Outside of Brandon Browner and Keenan Lewis, who both look like “locks” to start outside, there is a wide-open battle ongoing for the nickel and dime spots. And, if we are looking for one positive from Thursday, it would be the play of several of the cornerback group.
In the melee behind Browner and Lewis on the depth chart, it was Stanley Jean-Baptiste who was quietly given the most extended audition on Thursday. We say “quietly”, as in the 48 snaps Baptiste had on Thursday he was only thrown at once (an incomplete pass). The numbers confirm what we can see on the tape – Baptiste maintained good coverage on the day. Hopefully a strong confidence boost for a player who clearly has the physical tools to succeed.
It wasn’t just Baptiste who had a strong showing on Thursday. In second half action, rookie Damian Swann was a real eye-catcher for us. Although he had two flags thrown against him, we were extremely encouraged to see how Swann seemed to relish playing tight, physical press coverage on the outside. Swann highlighted his performance with an INT.
Fans favorite Delvin Breaux also managed to catch the eye, albeit in an injury-shortened display. Breaux played just 5 passing downs on the day, but made a key pass breakup on a first-half deep ball, where he maintained impressive downfield coverage. Another encouraging debut. Undrafted rookie Travis Manning has a mountain to climb to make the final roster, given the strong depth in front of him, but acquitted himself well in his 16 snaps on Thursday and did not give up a completion. A likely practice squad candidate for 2015. Free Agency “vet minimum” pickup Kyle Wilson was beaten once on the day by rookie WR DeAndre Carter, but was otherwise sound. Our sense is that Wilson will need to step up to make the 53, though, particularly with Florida State 3rd rounder PJ Williams also in the mix.
The encouraging performances from Baptiste, Swann, Breaux (and even Manning) make an intriguing position battle all the more exciting to watch in the coming weeks. Returning veterans Brian Dixon and Terrence Frederick will not be assured of their roster spots. Dixon struggled in coverage on Thursday, but does have the big advantage of a solid season of NFL experience from 2014. Frederick picked off an ill-advised Bruce Renner pass in the fourth quarter to boost his stock, and overall looked more impressive than Dixon on the day. But taking into account 2014 performance, Dixon can probably be more confident than Frederick of making the 53. Neither are “locks”.
Safeties
The key takeaway on the safeties from Thursday was what we didn’t see – Jairus Byrd. The Who Dat Nation is rightfully concerned about the status of Byrd, and the ominous lack of updates makes us suspect that he is not going to be suiting up anytime soon. We hope to be proved wrong on that, but the silence is becoming increasingly worrying.
It was Rafael Bush and Kenny Vaccaro who lined up with the starters in Byrd’s absence on Thursday. Bush flew under the radar for much of last year, but was one of the Saints more dependable defensive backs. He was never really tested on Thursday night. Vaccaro was more active on Thursday, but unfortunately not in a positive way. On the first series, Vaccaro still showed flashes of the overpursuit and soft coverage that plagued his 2014 season. It isn’t clear how the Saints will use Vaccaro when Byrd eventually returns – in theory the more dependable Bush could take some of the snaps that Vaccaro currently enjoys at SS.
Of the safeties behind Bush and Vaccaro, it was Jamarca Sanford who gave the most impressive showing on Thursday. He led the Saints with 6 stops and showed good ability to diagnose run/pass plays and defend accordingly. Arguably both Vinnie Sunseri and Kenny Phillips were at fault for the long Ravens TD, with Sunseri playing too shallow and/or Phillips failing to pick up Campanaro over the top (depending on your view). Either way it was a blown coverage and Phillips should have still been able to stop Campanaro before the endzone. Pierre Warren was very much the “forgotten man” of the day, playing only limited second half snaps, having rolled with the 3rd stringers for much of Camp. Our knock on Warren last year was his weakness against the run. He only played 2 rushing downs on Thursday, so it is hard to judge if Warren has made any improvement in that regard. His stock certainly seems to be low at this point.
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UPDATE: Our Updated Stock watch and analysis of the Saints offense against Baltimore is now live also. Click here to check it out.
For those looking out for our analysis on the other side of the football, our Offensive Musings and Stock Watch will be going live on Monday, so do check back on the BoiLa for those. Also, feel free to share this with any other Saints fans you think might be interested. We’re hoping to get The BoiLa out to a wider range of Who Dats in 2015, and any help in achieving this would be greatly appreciated.
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