Black & Gold Xs & Os: Saints Defense Needs To Earn Back Respect vs. Cardinals

Dec. 19, 2009:  8:32 p.m. Pacific I turned on my TV after returning home from church to see the New Orleans Saints had lost for the first time in 2009.

It was at home against a team many now think will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Yeah, you know, "America's Team." I don't need to remind Saints fans what happened after that.

The entire team is suffering from a lack of respect over their NFC-best 13-3 record mainly because those three losses ended the regular season. The beautiful thing though, is that the Playoffs are a new season. Records no longer matter.

Home field is the only reward, and guess what? The Saints have that in this weekend's game and next week if they are victorious. Truth be told, New Orleans is going to need every advantage they can get against a team that seems to have some special magical powers when it comes to postseason play.

Despite a lesser record, many are predicting an Arizona win this weekend in the Dome. This is in part because of the Cardinals impressive 51-point outing last weekend against one of the better defenses in the league.

So yes, the Saints defense must step up. They must regain that swagger they began 2009 with. They must do it against an offense that is just as explosive, or at least potentially, as the New Orleans' offense.

It is not an easy road.

It is because of this though, that I propose the bigger road block for Gregg Williams is not a game plan but reinvigorating a unit that has seemed to have lost some of its swagger. The turnovers and defensive touchdowns that characterized the first half of the season for Williams' unit have been invisible in the second half.

Williams must correct the problems on his own defense before he even begins to worry about the problems that Arizona's multiple personnel, multiple formation offense present.

Having a healthy Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer should help. Sedrick Ellis should be at full strength. Therefore the defense is as healthy as it's been, save for the loss of Charles Grant, who I pretty much forgot was even on the team.

An interesting fact I heard this week is that New Orleans shuts down team's number one receivers but struggles against second and third receivers. If this fact holds up, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston and/or Bayou Bengal Early Doucet could all have huge days.

This truly puts the emphasis on guys like Porter, nickelback Randall Gay, and even rookie Malcolm Jenkins to step their game up in coverage. Darren Sharper needs to get back to taking away center field.

But even if the Saints could shut down all the Cardinals receivers, Warner still has a few well-kept secret favorite targets in rookie flex running back Larod Stephens-Howling, who the Cardinals use similarly to the way the Saints used Aaron Stecker from 2006-08, and tight end Ben Patrick, who does a good job working the middle of the defense.

The Cardinals are a tough offense to stop, especially when Kurt Warner is getting the ball out of his hands quickly. That phrase is key.

The Saints must bump the Arizona receivers at the line of scrimmage to force them off their routes. If they can do that successfully, it helps Sharper patrol center field, and gives rushers/blitzers time to find the statue, err...Warner in the backfield (in truth he is more mobile than most give him credit for).

From a rush/blitz perspective I would overload the offense's left side where new starter Jeremy Bridges resides. He has struggled at times and can be overwhelmed, especially if you change up your approach. I thought Dom Capers last weekend became content to simply allow Clay Mathews to go one-on-one with Bridges.

I don't care how much more talented Mathews may be. Eventually Bridges is going to figure a guy out if that's the only look he gets.

Because of this, I would isolate Will Smith or Bobby McCray at times on Bridges. Other times, I would show blitzers and not come. Other times, I would send blitzers from the corner and slot.

In short, I believe if you give enough different looks, you're going generate enough pressure that Warner will start to get happy feet and rush throws, which is when Sharper and company can do their magic.

Pressure is the biggest key in defending the passing game. But what about Arizona's suddenly diverse and, dare I say, vaunted running game? How in the world do you defend that, also?

I say the key to that is pretty simple. It's tackling. You cannot put an eighth man in the box since Arizona throws the ball so effectively. You must play the run with seven guys. Sedrick Ellis and company on the interior of the line must get good push at the point of attack.

Jonathan Vilma must be ready to step up and make all the tackles along with fellow linebackers Scott Fujita and Shanle.

Because Arizona is primarily a man-to-man blocking offense (different from the now standard zone blocking scheme) where they pull and trap and move their linemen horizontally towards certain men, I would stunt and twist with my line and play games.

I would run blitz certain gaps with Vilma or Roman Harper. Playing games will get Arizona out of their man blocking schemes and force them to become one-dimensional and/or force them to try to run the ball in different ways than they are most comfortable.

The thing I'm most looking forward to watching is how Gregg Williams applies pressure to Kurt Warner. Sitting back is not an option. Warner is too good, and he struggles with pressure. But if you don't get home, he will burn you. The pressure packages Williams designs for this week must be good.

Offensive game plan hopefully will follow sometime late Thursday. Geaux Saints!