New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley pushed back Thursday against Troy Aikman’s criticism of the unit’s performance in Monday night’s 45-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, saying the broadcast analyst’s assessment that he had no answers was inaccurate.
The Saints surrendered 205 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground in Atlanta, falling to 1-3. New Orleans entered the game without linebacker Kaden Elliss and edge defenders Carl Granderson and Anfernee Jennings, a depleted front that struggled to contain Falcons running back Bijan Robinson.
Staley rejects Aikman’s assessment
During the third quarter of ESPN’s Monday Night Football telecast, with 2:43 remaining, Aikman said Staley lacked solutions for Atlanta’s rushing attack. He pointed to the absences along the Saints’ front and said New Orleans did not have a standout defender capable of covering up mistakes elsewhere.
Aikman also called the matchup a problem for the Saints before kickoff, and later criticized the defense’s pursuit and tackling on Atlanta’s fifth rushing touchdown.
Staley said he had heard the remarks but did not understand the basis for them.
“It was a tough night for us, and certainly I’m responsible because I call the defense,” Staley said. “But we have a great group of guys.”
He noted that New Orleans had contained Robinson in both meetings with Atlanta last season, limiting him to 33 rushing yards in one game and 70 in the other.
“No one defended that runner better than us last year,” Staley said of Robinson. “He’s a terrific player, but our group played him better twice than anybody had during his NFL career.”
How the Falcons’ rushing attack broke through
- Robinson broke free for a 59-yard gain on Atlanta’s third offensive play, a run Staley described as surprising because the Saints had not allowed that type of explosive rushing play earlier this season.
- Staley said the defense responded well over the following three possessions.
- A fourth-down penalty extended an Atlanta drive and led to Robinson’s second touchdown.
- From that point, Staley said the Saints could not regain their defensive rhythm as the Falcons continued to produce on the ground.
“There were plenty of good moments in the first half,” Staley said. “But after that fourth-down penalty, it was really up and down. We didn’t play well after that. We never got our rhythm back on defense.”
He called the performance out of character for a group he believes has been consistent during his time in New Orleans, while acknowledging that the game unraveled.
Effort was not the issue, coordinator says
Aikman said the Saints had defenders standing and watching, missed tackles and poor overall football on the final rushing touchdown. Staley accepted that several of the explosive plays involved breakdowns in assignments and technique, but he did not agree that his players lacked effort.
“Our players have been playing the right way,” Staley said. “That is assignment, technique and effort together. The other night, we were missing two of those three. The effort was there.”
Staley said the defense’s attention has shifted to correcting the issues exposed in Atlanta and preparing for Minnesota.
“We’re focused on Minnesota, taking the hard lessons from the other night,” he said. “We have the right guys to respond.”
The Saints will try to halt their three-game skid when they host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
