Bend but don’t break is a good way to describe the defensive effort. But turnovers have been hard to come by so getting three in one game was a really pleasant change. What’s hard to believe is that after giving up that 70 yard touchdown pass on the opening drive the Packers wouldn’t get in the end zone again until the fourth quarter. The red zone defense in particular was outstanding and while we all knew Aaron Rodgers was going to make a lot of plays, the defense did a great job of slowing him down. This has to give this unit a lot of confidence moving forward. Another interesting special teams note: this was only the 3rd game in NFL history that didn’t feature a single punt for the entire game. Below are the grades for the game and the cumulative GPA for the season:
Cam Jordan: A- (2.24) Finally the Cam Jordan we expected all season. He finished with 3 tackles and 2 sacks, but his pressure and pass rush was relentless all game long. He came close to getting a couple more. His run defense wasn’t as good as usual and at one point he missed a tackle on Lacy, but so did everyone. The bottom line is he was beating his man in a variety of ways and this is something to build off. Welcome back Cam!
Junior Galette: C- (2.33) With the amount of pressure Jordan got I expected him to be in the backfield more, but he was unusually quiet and looked gassed a lot out there. He was substituted for frequently which made me wonder if he was banged up. In run defense he once blatantly went for the strip instead of making a tackle which led to a big gain. He did force a holding call which called back a big run. He had just 2 tackles.
Akiem Hicks: B+ (2.38) He’s rounding into form and starting to make an impact. He was excellent against the run and got good interior pocket pressure. He had 3 tackles, including one for a loss, and was a constant menace on the interior for the Packers.
Brodrick Bunkley: C (2.24) He wasn’t as effective as usual against the run but I thought his pass rushing was better. He was disruptive getting some interior pocket pressure which forced Aaron Rodgers to scramble on a couple of occasions. The Saints rushed four most of the game to drop as many guys into coverage as they could and Bunkley was in the backfield a few times. For his size that was positive, but his stock in trade is run defense and this wasn’t his best day there. He had no tackles.
Tyrunn Walker: B (2.33) He played well. First he showed good hustle to chase down Lacy 10 years downfield on a screen, then he helped a huge 4th and short stop with great interior penetration to get the offense the ball back. He finished with 3 tackles got some good pressure, too. The only negative was a roughing the passer penalty on a 3rd down play for slapping Rodgers’ helmet.
Kasim Edebali: A- (2.34) He finished with 2 sacks. The first was a little lucky getting Rodgers as a coverage sack when he climbed the pocket. The second was in garbage time, but it was still a beast bull rush where he knocked the ball loose from Matt Flynn and caused the last turnover. Nice to see him play well. I did notice a number of times where he was stood up, but when a reserve gets 2 sacks and a forced fumble in limited snaps he deserves a good grade.
Brandon Deaderick: B- (1.54) He finished with 1 tackle but was more generally physical and active around the ball than what we’ve seen up to this point. He gave the Saints valuable rotation work.
John Jenkins: B (2.34) He played the run well and finished with 1 tackle. He was also credited with three hurries for his interior push. He continues to spell Bunkley and give the Saints great size and power in the middle.
David Hawthorne: A (3.00) He made what was in my opinion the two biggest defensive plays of the game. First he came up with a huge interception in the red zone with the game still tied at 16. That was a complete game changer. When the Saints first signed Hawthorne I remember being excited about the 7 interceptions he had in 3 years with Seattle, thinking he had good ball skills. Well in his third season with the Saints he finally got his first. He played the run very well and teamed up with Walker to make that 4th down stop that was another huge play. Every stop in this game came at a premium and Hawthorne was responsible for two of them. That alone deserves an A. He had 5 tackles, though I will admit his coverage was suspect at times on Lacy. He’s quietly having a good season.
Curtis Lofton: C+ (2.81) Not his best game. After playing what I thought was his best game as a Saint, he missed tackles and didn’t take his best angles. His coverage was also victimized a few times. He still finished with 9 tackles and had nice hustle on the big screen gain by Lacy, but I’ve seen better from the Saints’ captain.
Parys Haralson: B- (2.48) Played sparingly because the Saints played the majority of the game in nickel. He did come up with a fumble recovery late, though. And as badly as the Saints need turnovers this year, any random play that involves following on one gives a guy a decent grade.
Keenan Lewis: C+ (2.52) He gave up the 70 yard score to Randall Cobb on the opening drive despite having a shot at breaking up the pass. He just didn’t show great ball skills on that play and got turned around. He was flagged once for defensive holding and didn’t seem to like the call. He was beaten a couple of times and it wasn’t his best day in coverage. At the same time, he was primarily responsible for Jordy Nelson and the star receiver finished with 3 catches for 25 yards. It’s hard to say he played too poorly when you consider that. That may be the worst game Nelson has all year. So based on that it’s hard to criticize Lewis too much. He had 3 tackles.
Corey White: A- (1.95) Like Patrick Robinson against the Bucs, he came out of nowhere to have a monster game. It was completely unexpected, but his coverage throughout was very solid. He had 4 tackles, two defended passes, and a game clinching interception. This was probably the best game of his career as an NFL player.
Patrick Robinson: B (2.07) As the nickel corner he also played a solid game in coverage. He finished with 2 tackles and played a clean game with no major breakdowns or mistakes.
Marcus Ball: D (1.84) After showing some promise in his first game as a nickel cover guy, he really struggled in this game and Rodgers went after him early and often. As the game wore on he played a lot less which leads me to believe he got pulled. He finished with 1 tackle but didn’t help much against the run missing a couple of tackles there. He struggled mightily covering in the slot.
Rafael Bush: B- (2.38) He tackled well and as the last line of defense against the Packers that was needed. I have noticed he doesn’t have quite the closing speed and tracking ability of Jairus Byrd. That’s ok, few safeties do. He finished with 8 tackles, 1 for a loss and a defended pass. A fairly solid performance overall but he didn’t make a major impact either.
Kenny Vaccaro: C+ (2.00) I was floored to see he led the team in tackles with 10 because I remember the missed tackles more. It’s been an up and down season for Vaccaro and he still struggles at times as a full time starter against the run. Way too boom or bust. His coverage was solid, though, and the times he got guys down he was physical.
Vinnie Sunseri: C+ (2.44) Came in as a goal line defending safety and while he didn’t do much, he deserves credit for being in the right spots and helping a tremendous unit effort in the red zone.
Shayne Graham: A- (2.86) He made all five extra points and all three field goals inside of 40. Not that the degree of difficulty was hard, but give Graham credit for being extremely reliable lately. The Saints needed him to stay steady in that first half to answer the Packers’ scoring.
Thomas Morstead: B+ (3.00) Never punted but did got 8 for 8 on kickoff touchbacks, never giving the Packers a chance for a return. His first kickoff was a knuckle line drive, though, and he was fortunate it rolled through the end zone because that could have been dangerous. Easy day at the office and he did what was asked of him. I love it when Morstead goes a whole game without punting. More of that please.
Ramon Humber: B+ (2.06) Incredibly heads up play on the onsides kick to disrupt the timing and cause the ball to go out of bounds. That had the potential to be devastating if the Packers recovered, but Humber made sure the offense had great field position to start the drive. A very underrated moment in the scope of this game.
Defensive Player of the Game: David Hawthorne
Special Teams Player of the Game: Shayne Graham
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
