By Ross Jackson
The “interim coach bump” worked out great for the New Orleans Saints last weekend as they toppled the division rival Atlanta Falcons.
While Interim Head Coach Darren Rizzi deserves a lot of credit for that, his staff played a huge role as well. The Saints made several coaching staff adjustments after Rizzi was appointed to lead the team. Those shifts mainly focused on the defensive side of the ball, and they look to have paid off against the Falcons.
When the team fired former head coach Dennis Allen, it also lost its long-time defensive play caller. While Allen’s defense struggled this year, there’s no question that he was (and will again be should he return to coaching) one of the brightest defensive minds in the NFL. That’s a tough pair of shoes to fill.
But in his first week as a play caller, veteran coordinator Joe Woods stepped in admirably.
While the overall defensive scheme did not change, Woods made some notable adjustments that benefited the defense in key situations.
Rizzi credited Woods for the changes the team made on its third down game plan. New Orleans is typically a blitz-heavy and man coverage-happy team on those downs. Against Atlanta, 8-of-14 3rd down defensive snaps were in zone coverage, and blitzes were only sent twice.
The usual third down look would consist of three down-linemen, two safeties with one threatening each edge and then a pair of linebackers threatening the a-gaps. However, the Falcons only saw four third down snaps in which New Orleans had more than five players on the defensive line. One of which was a goal line look, another a 3rd and 1.
Atlanta converted just 5-of-14 tries to extend drives. In the three games leading up to Week 10, the Falcons ranked No. 7 in the league in third down conversions at 45 percent. One of the reasons the Saints had so much success was a deviation from tendency.
“I think that’s one of the things that Joe (Woods) brought,” Rizzi said Monday. “Maybe a little bit of a different third down package. To get some new people, some new looks. That’s one thing (when) a new coordinator comes in. All of a sudden on third down, the pass protection for the (Falcons) offense — they didn’t work on that all week. We call those ‘uncarded looks.’”
Rizzi also led the charge in making changes on the defensive line. Defensive line coach Todd Grantham was moved to a defensive advisory role, working more closely with Woods. Meanwhile long-time staffer and pass rush specialist Brian Young took over coaching the defensive line.
In doing so, the focus in the trenches shifted from scheme to the fundamentals. Rather than focusing on the games that can be run on the line, Young took the linemen back to the basics.
“Let’s go back to training camp basics,” Rizzi said of Young’s approach last week. “Gap controls, getting off the ball, hand placement, violent shed and all that. And that showed up in the game.”
Getting back to the fundamentals was a common theme after losses all season. But perhaps now the Saints have finally gotten there. The team’s interim has been intent on making things uncomfortable. Changing things just enough to keep his players and staff on their toes. How much he can change throughout the rest of the season will be the question. But for now, the changes, adjustments and reframing of perspectives have all been of value for New Orleans.
