Following the Leaders

The NFL is very much a copycat league – if it works for one team, others are going to try it. There is no better example of this trend than the spread of the “West Coast Offense,” which was implemented by Bill Walsh during his tenure as assistant coach for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 – 1975. When Walsh became head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, he installed a modified version of this system, and ended up winning three Super Bowls during that time. Later, several of Walsh's assistants and coordinators went on to successfully implement this system while coaching other teams. George Seifert won two Super Bowls with the 49ers after Walsh retired; Mike Shanahan won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos; and Mike Holmgren won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and coached in another with the Seattle Seahawks.

One can already see the signs of the continuance of this trend as teams make off-season moves and attempt to duplicate the New York Giants’ recipe for success. Were the Giants the best overall team last season? Definitely not. Did they have the best overall offense? Not even close. Did they have the best overall defense? It’s debatable. But what they did have without any question was the best front seven. With the recent rule emphasis on Illegal Contact and Pass Interference penalties, passing offenses have been gouging defenses because defensive backs have much less freedom to redirect receivers through physical play. Defensive coordinators have had a difficult time adapting, but the Giants seem to have provided the blueprint from which other copycat teams will build their roster. Instead of loading up a roster with expensive defensive backs like Asante Samuel, DeAngelo Hall, and Nate Clements, some teams appear to be focusing on their front seven in order to enhance their pass rush and control the game from the line. The Saints are currently members of this copycat group.

Throughout the 2007 season, the Giants’ defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, perfected the 4-3 defense and in the end proved that a team doesn’t need an elite secondary in order to win the Super Bowl. Last season, the Giants’ defense racked up a league-leading 61 total sacks and only allowed an average of 97.7 rushing yards per game, which was 8th best in the NFL. All but 10 of their sacks came from their defensive linemen and linebackers. In the Super Bowl, the Giants defense only allowed 45 rushing yards on 16 carries, which amounted to a measly 2.6 rushing yards per carry. Their defense sacked Tom Brady 5 times, forced a fumble, and intercepted a pass. The Giants were able to rack up these numbers because, unlike the Saints, they had a deep defensive line rotation and solid linebacker play, which allowed them to keep their starters fresh. The Giants’ defensive linemen and linebackers were also getting to the quarterback quickly, putting far less of a burden on their cornerbacks and safeties, who despite not being shutdown players, fared well against the accomplished Patriots receivers.

Good NFL teams need depth, and compared to the Super Bowl champion Giants, the 2007 Saints had very little on the defensive side of the ball. As a disciple of Nick Saban, Gary Gibbs would love to pressure the quarterback from all possible angles, but the Saints defense simply lacks the talent. In no one stat is the lack of talent and athleticism of the Saints defense more evident than in the fact that Mark Simoneau and Scott Shanle combined for two sacks all of last season. They’re great for run support, as all linebackers must be, but they can’t blitz the quarterback or cover tight ends and running backs coming out of the backfield; with Simoneau and Shanle on the field, it’s difficult to put much pressure on a quarterback.

All that said, Sean Payton recognized the need to bolster the front seven this past off-season through free agency and the draft. The Saints signed the best middle linebacker available, Jonathan Vilma, who many believe is the third best middle linebacker in the NFL when healthy. Payton also added former 1st round pick, Dan Morgan. While Morgan has been very injury-prone in the past and suffers from frequent concussions, the Saints plan to move him from middle to outside linebacker in the hope that he will take fewer head-on hits. These two additions alone may have been the two biggest steals of the off-season. The biggest positive about acquiring Vilma and Morgan though, is that they are both low-risk, high-reward moves. If neither Vilma nor Morgan pan out, we are only losing a fourth round pick and picking up relatively small contracts.

The Saints made further efforts to upgrade their front seven in this year’s draft, selecting defensive linemen, Sedrick Ellis and DeMario Pressley, with two of their first three picks. Some would argue that drafting two defensive tackles when other team needs existed was overkill, but both Ellis and Pressley could get significant playing time this season. Although drafting two defensive tackles doesn't necessarily spell doom for incumbents Hollis Thomas and Brian Young, provided Pressley makes the team, defensive tackle should be a deep position for the Saints this season. The Saints’ rotation next year could include Thomas, Ellis, Young and Pressley, along with Antwan Lake and Kendrick Clancy. That rotation, along with Pro Bowl caliber defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith and off-season addition Bobby McCray, should leave the Saints with a formidable defensive line in 2008. Not to mention, the Saints’ front seven now features five first-round draft picks. And, should the Saints suffer an injury or two, they will now have capable replacements, instead of guys nobody has ever heard of like Josh Cooper.

As the Giants proved in 2007, a team doesn’t need an elite secondary to win championships. As my co-writer Vern’s article (http://saintsgomarching.blogspot.com/2008/05/rome-was-not-built-in-day.html) pointed out on Tuesday, great dynasties of the past have frequently been built upon an elite quarterback and either a top 5 offense or defense. The Saints have an elite quarterback and should rank in the top 5 offensively again this season; now, they’re focusing on building that championship defense by following the lead of the Giants. The Saints are now building a strong front seven with sufficient depth. If the Saints can effectively copy the blueprint the Giants created, then Saints fans should look forward to some lower scoring games this season, from their opponents at least.