Saints vs. Packers: Why Saints D-Line Is to Blame for Week 1 Loss

Back to the drawing board for the Saints.

Last year, they had some major issues with their defensive line and it eventually was one of the main reasons they were upset in the playoffs.

They thought the problems were fixed by signing free-agents Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin. Both DTs are huge and were expected to clog the middle of the line while also providing strong pressure to the opposing QB.

Instead, both players were gassed after the opening drive and could be seen with their hands on their hips and head on every break of the action gasping for air like they were about to go under water.

Their severe lack of conditioning prohibited them from making any sort of impact, and the stats showed as much. The "dynamic duo" collected a grand total of one tackle between them.

The defense couldn't get off the field on third down because of the lack of pressure on Aaron Rodgers. When you give the Super Bowl MVP more than three seconds to scan the field and find his target, it's over.

The loss of DE Will Smith (suspended four games for getting caught with a banned substance) was evident, and the Saints must figure out a way to fix things in a hurry. The schedule doesn't get much easier with home games against the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans on deck followed by a road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With Rodgers having all day to throw, the Saints secondary could only defend the speedy Green Bay receivers for so long, and it became a game of damage control after a while.

Now the Saints have 10 days to fix this problem.