Defensive coaching changes propel Saints, Broncos to undefeated records
08:49 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A lack of defense prevented the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos from reaching the postseason in 2008.
Both teams finished 8-8 despite ranking 1-2 in the NFL in offense. Moving the ball and scoring points weren't the problem. The Broncos and Saints just couldn't stop their opponents from doing so.
Denver finished 29th in defense and allowed an AFC-high 448 points. New Orleans finished 23rd in defense and allowed 393 points. So both teams brought in new defensive coordinators for 2009.
The results have been eye-popping.
The Broncos hired Mike Nolan and the Saints added Gregg Williams. Both have been NFL head coaches this decade – Nolan with the San Francisco 49ers and Williams with the Buffalo Bills – and both have called the shots for top-three defenses, Nolan with Baltimore (No. 3 in 2001) and Williams with Tennessee (No. 1 in 2000).
Nolan is now coordinating the NFL's second-ranked defense and Williams the No. 9 unit, and their teams are both 4-0. Nolan and Williams ushered in the defensive transformations with completely different styles.
Nolan changed everything. He dumped the 4-3 scheme of the Mike Shanahan era and implemented his 3-4. He also brought in eight new starters. Only linebackers Elvis Dumervil and D.J. Williams and cornerback Champ Bailey survived the purge.
The changes have propelled the Broncos to the top of the AFC in defense. They rank fifth against the run, third against the pass and have allowed a league-low 26 points.
Williams didn't change the faces or the formation at New Orleans. He kept the 4-3 scheme and retained eight of the 11 starters. What Williams did change was the emphasis. His game has always been getting after the quarterback. His Tennessee defense set a franchise record for sacks in back-to-back seasons in 1999 (54) and 2000 (55).
The Saints only managed 28 sacks all of last season. With Williams dialing up the heat, New Orleans already has 10 sacks through four games – a pace that will net the Saints 40 this season.
Pressure produces mistakes by the quarterback and mistakes by a quarterback produce turnovers. The Saints lead the NFL with 13 takeaways, including 10 interceptions.
Safety Darren Sharper, one of the three newcomers on defense, already has five interceptions.
The Broncos and Saints have long been entertaining offensive teams. They can still entertain on offense. But revitalized defenses will now allow them to contend for the playoffs and championships.
I'm back on Giants-Colts bandwagon, Manning vs. Manning. The Colts have the NFL's best offense, the Giants have the best defense. The last time the NFL's No. 1 offense met the No. 1 defense in the Super Bowl was 2002. Defense prevailed in that one was Tampa Bay toppled Oakland, 48-21, in Super Bowl XXXVII.
I got my first glimpse of the ongoing renovation of Arrowhead Stadium. The project started in 2008 and will be completed in 2010. Like the overhauls done on stadiums at Green Bay and Notre Dame, the Chiefs opted to leave the integrity of the bowl and build up the stadium's exterior. Wise move. Too many of the new stadiums built out and up, moving the fans farther away from the action. In the restructured Arrowhead, the fans remain on top of the action. So football remains the focal point of the building. There will be more suites, which will whittle away the capacity from 79,000 to 77,000, plus wider concourses and more club areas. The press box will move to the top of the stadium in 2010 in the final stage of the renovation. Arrowhead will have a modern look on the outside, but on the inside it remains the great football venue it's always been.
Arizona's mercurial rise in the West in 2008 stemmed from its ability to win at home. The Cardinals won eight times last season at the University of Phoenix Stadium, including a 32-25 victory over Philadelphia in the NFC title game. That's the most home victories by the Cardinals since winning 11 in 1925. But Arizona has played two home games this season and lost them both to San Francisco and Indianapolis. If the Cardinals are ever going to become a consistent winner, they must become a consistent home team. They'll shoot for home victory No. 1 Sunday when the Houston Texans visit.
Rick Gosselin shares his NFL analysis Wednesdays through Fridays on the NFL blog.
Rick Gosselin is the author of GoodFellows, the story of Detroit's surprisingly successful St. Ambrose football teams of the '50s and '60s.