CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There are many ways to define the best defense in the NFL. But in 2018, the year of no true shutdown units, the Saints' defense is as great as it gets.
New Orleans came out of Monday night's 12-9 win in Carolina ranked No. 11 in total defense and tied for No. 7 in scoring defense. The Saints still have the No. 1 run defense after limiting Christian McCaffrey and Cam Newton to a combined 68 rushing yards. They also forced two turnovers — both in the red zone — to increase their season total to 22, good for a top-10 standing. Their four sacks of Newton increased their season total to 45, tying them with the Bears for No. 4 in the league.
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"It was great to see, to get the takeaways, getting the hurries," New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. "The third-down numbers were good, and you know it's the right time of the year, too."
The Bears, perhaps for their Monsters of the Midway reputation, have been hyped as some preeminent, dominant force, the best hope for defense to win a championship in a record-setting year for offense in the NFL. The Saints, perhaps because of their early struggles against the pass and shaky history in recent seasons, have not gotten the same kind of respect.
Consider that perception changed; New Orleans needed every bit of that defense to bail out quarterback Drew Brees on his second bad road night in three weeks. The Saints' ability to win ugly when Brees isn't close to his best is exactly what makes them increasingly heavy favorites to win Super Bowl 53.
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No defense has played better over the past month and a half than that of the Saints. They have held six consecutive opponents to 17 points or fewer and have given up 308 yards or fewer in four of those games. They're peaking in advance of a playoff run for which they should be the NFC's No. 1 seed, with that defense in line to get the extra emotional lift of playing in the Superdome.
Defensive end Cameron Jordan is the unquestioned best player and leader of the group. After seeing the Saints' struggle on defense in previous seasons, he's not concerned about the current perception — he just has a renewed faith that it will always come through.
"This is the best defense I've been a part of," Jordan said. "Game in, game out, first quarter, fourth quarter, I believe in us. If we go into overtime, I believe in us. If it comes down to a crucial play, I believe in us. When we need a turnover, I believe in us.
"I don't know where that ranks us, but I believe in us."
Jordan did not add to his season total of 12 sacks Monday, but the "us" was in full force. Four other Saints — weakside linebacker Demario Davis, end Alex Okafor, tackle David Oneymata and safety Vonn Bell — were able to drop Newton. Bell and strongside linebacker A.J. Klein collaborated on a forced fumble from Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore in the third quarter. Cornerback Eli Apple, much maligned just two weeks ago, had the critical, end-zone interception of Newton just before halftime.
"Linebackers are out there creating turnovers; DBs are out there creating turnovers. Defensive ends are out there dropping off on tight ends and creating plays," Jordan said. "At the end of the day, it's about getting after the quarterback and shutting down the offense, and then trying to move to the next one."
The Saints have playmakers on every level, and they have terrific depth to come through in every situation — early downs against the run, later downs against the pass. Jordan credits consistent unselfishness and chemistry, thinking about the group and the big picture rather than one individual and one moment.
"There's no friction," Davis explained. "Everyone wants to be better. Whether they come in from college or come in from other teams, we have the same mindset. We want do to something we've never done before; to do that, we have to continue doing things we've never done before. The open line of communication is key."
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Davis, arguably the best free-agent acquisition by any team in 2018, set the tone early by blitzing Newton, and he has been the biggest reason the team can shut down backs as talented as McCaffrey.
Like Jordan, Davis is 29 and playing the best football of his career. Like Jordan, he's helping the Saints stay focused on what's right in front of them on every play.
"Week in and week out, we're just trying to hit our goals, be good against the run, be good on third down and be good in the red zone," Davis said. "We just try to stay true to our goals and let the rest take care of itself."
After some coverage lapses early in the season, the Saints have become a disciplined and fundamentally sound defense, from their tackling to their technique. When they give up big plays, they don't give up, looking to take them right back.
"We're just playing hard, playing for each other," Apple said. "We're playing great assignment football and our coaches are putting us in great position to make plays."
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Offensively this season, the Saints were a balanced, explosive and unstoppable team through most of November. Their recent slump on that side of the ball has placed more of the attention on how well the defense has been playing into December. But the running game got well again in Carolina, and with the Saints set to play at home the rest of the way before the Super Bowl, you can bet Brees will be Brees again.
In turn, that will put the Saints defenders in better positions to tee off on teams. Watch out, then, for them to make an even bigger statement against the Steelers in Week 16.
"They have kept us in good situations, giving the offense some time to get into a flow. They have been keeping us in it," running back Mark Ingram said of his team's defense. "Once we get this thing clicking, with them balling and us balling — we will be all right."
That's the scary thing: Regardless of whether you think the Saints' defense has a case for best in the NFL, they have more than enough on the roster to finish on top when it really counts.
