I know, I know, but I just couldn’t resist. WHO DAT!
No, I’m not surprised the New Orleans Saints won, but the stunner is that they won with DEFENSE. The New York Jets entered Sunday as the defensive powerhouse, not the offensive minded Saints. It is the personality of Rex Ryan's aggressive Jets defense to play the bully in games, knocking people off the ball and back on their heels with superior physicality. This time the bully was the Saints, and the Jets were the team getting pushed around. I thought last week’s display of defense by the Saints was a fluke, but it looks like the new reality is that the New Orleans Saints can win games with its defense just as easily as it can with its high-powered offense. Looks like these Saints aren't lopsided, or lacking in physicality, any more. Defense is no longer a dirty word in New Orleans.
The game was billed as the Jets attacking defense versus the Saints attacking offense. But it turns out that the Saints had four sacks and harassed Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez into four turnovers -- three interceptions and a fumble lost in his own end zone like. The Saints defense actually out-scored both the entire Jets team and the New Orleans offense 14-10, with Saints safety Darren Sharper setting a team-record with a 99-yard interception return for his team's first touchdown in the second quarter, and backup defensive tackle Remi Ayodele recovering a Sanchez fumble in the end zone to make it 17-0. The Jets rallied to make a game of it in the second half with the next 10 points, New Orleans wound up picking off Sanchez twice more in the final two quarters (Sharper again and cornerback Randall Gay), and added a game-clinching 74-yard, 11-play touchdown drive on offense in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Saints defenders afterward said first-year New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams spent all week stressing to his team that the game against New York would be a 60-minute fight, and nothing short of out-hitting the contact-loving Jets would get the job done. Clearly these aren't your father's Saints. For the second week in a row, New Orleans won a game on the backs of its defense, following up last week's impressive 27-7 victory at Buffalo, when quarterback Drew Brees threw for less than 200 yards for the first time in 23 games. Brees has started a new streak for himself, because against the Jets he was 20 of 32 for 190 yards, with no touchdowns for a second week in a row. (Not good for me – he is my fantasy league quarterback – but just win baby).
As much credit as Coach Williams deserves for the new-look Saints defense, nobody epitomizes its on-field production as much as 13-year veteran safety Darren Sharper, who signed a one-year deal with New Orleans during free agency. Sharper's two picks against the Jets give him a league-leading five in four games -- New Orleans also paces the NFL with 10 interceptions and 13 takeaways -- and he has already posted two of the longest three interception returns in team history. His 97-yard pick-six at Philadelphia closed out a New Orleans rout in Week 2. His 10th career touchdown on interception return put him second behind the NFL's career leader, Rod Woodson (12).
This is the kind of game the Saints never won in the past unless their offense put up its usual 34 points or so. But those days are rapidly becoming a memory. But in two weeks, after they take their Week 5 bye, the Saints have another glamour matchup at the Superdome to gear up for. The Giants, who will likely be 5-0 after a home game against The Oakland Raiders next week, are the next team that will test the validity of New Orleans' new-found strength. The Giants will come to New Orleans with a full head of steam. Maybe so, but full head of steam or not, nobody's pushing these Saints around any more. The tough-talking Jets tried it on Sunday, and the Saints -- have learned to push back.
A New York, New York doubleheader of domination, anyone? WHO DAT!!!
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