Saints’ defense dominates team’s Week 18 Pro Football Focus grades

By Ross Jackson

The New Orleans Saints defense was the standout unit on the field as the team wrapped up its 2025 campaign against the Atlanta Falcons. Allowing just one touchdown in the day, set up by a short field connected to a blocked punt, the defense put together an impressive performance led by its edge rushers. The team’s top trio all found its way ranked within the top five. 

Top Five

DE Carl Granderson – 92.8

DE Chase Young – 85.2

CB Quincy Riley – 79.1

DE Cameron Jordan – 76.7

LB Danny Stutsman – 74.9

Granderson, Young and Jordan had a ton of impact on Sunday. Young notched 1.5 sacks in the day while generating eight pressures. Jordan added a sack of his own while Granderson matched Young’s total in quarterback takedowns while also grabbing an impressive interception. The Saints’ defensive line was undeniably the most consequential position group across both teams throughout the game. 

Riley charted two passes defended in the day including a big pass breakup in a one-on-one matchup down the boundary. He also added four combined tackles on the day. 

Stutsman had three tackles on the day including a big hit that earned a reaction from the crowd. He also spent 31 snaps on the field Sunday. The rookie linebacker has seen a swell in playing time as of late. 

Bottom Five

OL Asim Richards – 35.3

S Jonas Sanker – 45.9

DT John Ridgeway III – 50.8

QB Tyler Shough – 54.6

DT Jonathan Bullard – 57.0

Richards took the field in place of rookie left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. during his time on the field. He fared adequately allowing just two pressures and no sacks. However, his team low 27.7 run blocking grade did him in. 

Shough, typically a fixture in the top five list, finds his way at the bottom this week. The low grade is likely tied to his interception at an important moment late in the game. But the throws Shough made throughout the matchup were dazzling in other cases. 

Ridgeway, Bullard and Sanker were all graded low in both run defense and as pass rushers when asked to pursue the quarterback, but Sanker’s grade was sunken thanks to a pair of credited missed tackles, dropping his tackling grade to 26.5.