By Ross Jackson
NEW ORLEANS — One of the biggest concerns that has limited the success of the New Orleans Saints defense in recent years has been tackling.
Missed tackles have plagued the defense as its annual rankings have trended downward. The topic became a near weekly conversation with players and coaches alike last year, as the Saints finished among the worst-tackling teams in 2024.
Per Pro Football Reference, the Saints finished No. 4 in the NFL last year for most missed tackles.
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- Indianapolis Colts – 157
- Las Vegas Raiders – 134
- Carolina Panthers – 132
- New Orleans Saints – 129
The team also finished No. 31 against the run–an immediate result of those missed tackles–No. 27 against the pass and 30th in total defense.
Tackling issues have not gotten any easier to curb around the NFL. Contact and time in practices have been significantly reduced over the past collective bargaining negotiations, exchanging full-contact practices to prolong NFL careers.
However, it does put the onus on players and coaches to find ways to improve in-season if tackling issues arise. The Saints would need to improve in this area to improve overall in 2025.
With defensive coordinator Brandon Staley now bringing a new culture, approach and philosophy to the defense, the team has a chance to overcome what previously ailed them.
The last time Staley was a defensive coordinator, his team was one of the best tackling units in the NFL. In 2020, the Los Angeles Rams had the third-fewest missed tackles in the league, just ahead of the Saints who finished with the fourth-least that year.
Staley’s Chargers defenses were up and down at times, but were most often improved from the missed tackle struggles of the 2024 Saints defense. In 2021, Staley’s first year as a head coach, the Chargers finished No. 3 in most missed tackles with 127. But the next season they improved to ninth-fewest.
In 2023, Los Angeles was around the middle of the pack with 100 missed tackles.
That is a promising sign for New Orleans that they should have the leadership in place to head in the right direction beginning this year. It won’t be solely up to Staley, though. The rest of his staff will contribute as well. And the bottom line is that the tackles will have to be made in the field. But if players are out in more advantageous situations, coaching can make a big difference.
Some players have already expressed their new-found freedom to go and make plays. That level of comfort could have a positive effect on this very important area of the game.
