NFL Panic Button: Saints, Colts among 5 teams looking for reset button after Week 2
By Shaun Church
New Orleans Saints
Quotable
"Every two-minute situation we’ve had this year, we’ve blown. We want to be a great defense, and great defenses always finish. And that’s something you just have to point the finger at [the coaches], and we have to get corrected."
–Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, via Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports
Why the reset button?
Before Sunday’s road loss to the Cleveland Browns, the New Orleans Saints had started 0-2 under Sean Payton just once since he arrived in 2006. That was in 2007, when running back Reggie Bush missed six games with injuries and the defense allowed the eighth-most points in the league.
There also was the 2012 season, when New Orleans also began 0-2, but that was the season Payton missed due to suspension from Bountygate.
In two weeks this season, a defense that was much-improved last year over that dreadful 2012 campaign has taken a giant step backwards, allowing the second-most points (63) and a horrible 104.6 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks.
Those quarterbacks? Matt Ryan, who torched the Saints’ secondary for an Atlanta Falcons single-game record 448 yards, three touchdowns and no picks; and Brian Hoyer, who managed the Browns offense well and did not turn the ball over en route to the Week 2 upset.
New Orleans held late fourth-quarter leads in both losses this season. Drew Brees and the offense have done plenty to win both games, but the defense let down the entire team each time.
You can almost understand allowing 37 points to Ryan and the potent Falcons offense with Roddy White, Julio Jones and Co., and the 26 points to Cleveland is not even horrible. After all, the Browns did put up 27 the week prior on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But having the lead late only to watch the opposition come back to beat you twice early in the season is problematic.
The Saints added free safety Jairus Byrd to play alongside talented strong safety Kenny Vaccaro, and neither have made an impact thus far. Vaccaro, who was one of the best safeties in the NFL against the run last season, has struggled in run support this season. And Byrd, who is perennially one of the best safeties in coverage, has stumbled out of the gate, allowing three receptions on four targets for 56 yards and an opposing quarterback rating of 116.7, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Can the Saints figure it out and make a run at the postseason before it’s too late? We shouldn’t put anything past Brees and his offense, but Rob Ryan’s defense is a real problem.
The next team, like New Orleans, expected to compete in its southern division. And, like the Saints, they have faltered early defensively.