NFL Saints Dennis Allen 4-2-5 defense and 3rd down analysis

 I have been watching the Saints for a few years. Most of the clips are from 20-21 but 22 was no different. 

2022-9th in scoring with a very good 20.3 ppg, considering they were 22nd offensively.

Top 5 in several red zone categories in 2022

Keep in mind their offense was limited due to injuries and inconsistent qb play.

2022

 #9 in points allowed considering they were 22nd offensively. 

#1 in red zone points allowed and TD allowed

#2 in passing yards per game

#5 in total defense, yards per game

#3 in Opponent completion percentage

Pretty good #'s to start with relative to the offense they had.

Overview

vs 12 personnel- 4-3 personnel-often in either an  over front or 4-3 with 3 lb's in the game

Pro 4-3 look

Go 4-3 vs 12 personnel 

vs 11 personnel- Primarily 4-2 nickel

VS 49ERS 

11 PERSONNEL-DEEBO SAMUEL WR IS LINED UP AT THE RIGHT RB POSITION

11 PERSONNEL

Front 

4-2 nickel

TE IS FLANKED OUT AS #3 WR

They always like to go 4-2 vs 11 and have their nickel in the game.

vs 21 personnel

Also, you will see mostly 4-3 personnel vs 21.

Went some bear vs the 49ers from their 4-3 personnel

they play an odd front but its still 4 DL and 3 LB

They play a 4i and head up on the TE

From the tite view. They play it the same way vs 12 /21 as the 49ers use 44 in different ways.

They bring the extra DL to Kittles side walk the safety down. 

2020 film and notes

The way their defense played in 2020, that was a tough task for some NFL Teams. They were an excellent defensive team.  The offensive struggles against the Bucs in the NFC divisional game cost them a chance to the NFC championship game. 

I watched them in the playoffs as their defense dominated the Chicago Bears. They held the Bears to 11 first downs and 3 points until a meaningless touchdown late in the game. They held the Bears to 48 rushing yards and 191 yards passing which was  quite a great day on the defensive side of things. They also held them to 1/10 on 3rd down. They mixed up coverages on 3rd down exceptionally well.

Let's look at their run defense: 19 carries for 48 yards in the wild card game.

The Saints run defense is impressive. 2 things they do really well is the defensive line on the interior is outstanding at taking on double teams. Malcolm Brown is outstanding against the run. The other thing they do really well is play the run game on the backside exceptionally well. What I mean by this is they do a great job staying in phase 

He does a great job beating the guards block and working down the LOS>

Jordan squeezes on the backside and everyone does their job on the cut back.

They hold them to a 3 yard gain.

On the next play, Malcolm Brown is a defensive run stuffer again. The De and him run a stunt and they get home. Nice job by both and they stuff the rb for no gain.

4-2 nickel vs 11 P

they run a game with the DE away from the back. 

56 scrapes over the top.

In the 3rd example, the Bears try to run pin and pull. The Defensive end stuffs the guard into the play and the backside de stays square on Trubisky to play the zone read, but does an excellent job on the line of scrimmage staying there and is in great position to play  the cutback. 

Again 4-2 front with Davis the Mike looking to fold back into the B gap.

He is on the right of the screen. 

The De stays square forces the give and they have hats in the gaps with no place to run.

94 surf technique is excellent as he comes down the line.

excellent defense.

Here are the 3 clips discussed above.

They are also excellent from a disciplined standpoint. They don't get fooled on boot, screens and play with great understanding of the game.They are a very well coached team.  

Here they get an air raid rpo. Everyone is in proper position, they get the swing pass and tackle it for a 2 yard gain. Great angles on the pursuit as well.

Here they get some orbit motion.

RPO Sam gets outside and they force it back.

On a big 2nd and 6 the Bears run boot off the jet motion. The safety does a great job playing pass and covering Kmet. He doesn't get fooled by the run fake. The DE stays home and plays it great and the defense holds the Bears to a 1 yard gain.

Nice job and execution. 

Nice job with the DB on the play.

Excellent defense by the Saints and here's 2 clips to go with the defense above.

On 3rd down defensively they played a few coverages and stunts which worked. They held the Bears to 1/10 efficiency. It was a magnificent performance.  They played zone on 6/10 snaps and man on the other 4. Really had Trubisky confused most of the day.

Here is the coverage chart

3rd and 5  dime odd fire zone cover 3 (see below)
3rd and 10 dime odd cover 2 
3rd and 8 dime odd 2 man lurk mike loop stunt,    inc
3rd and 20.  dime odd cover 2
3rd and 7. dime  odd man free 
3rd and 2. base nickel Defense  cover 3
3rd and 15 odd man free lurk.  T & E Game 
3rd and 8 combo coverage
3rd and 9 2 man T and E stunt
3rd and 2 cover 2 5 man fire zone.  completion for 18 yards

Here they go 3rd and 5. The Bears go empty but motion to 3x1. The saints look they are running cover 3 fire zone from a 2 high look. They execute good pressure and get Mitch to hesitate enough to throw the ball late and get off the field on a a 3rd and 5 early in the game.

Earlier in the year, they went on a 5-0 run weeks 9-13. It was mostly due to the great play of the defense.

The Saints Defense got better week by week. Over the last 4 games they have let up a total of  48 points, an average of 12 per game. They held the Falcons to 9 points. This includes a great performance against the Bucs holding Brady and company to 3 points followed by a strong performance against the 49ers holding them to 13 points.

They are led by their run defense:

Last 5 opponents held to under 100 yards. 4 out of the last 5 opponents held to under 52 yards rushing.

The Bucs were a crazy low 5 carries for 8 yards.

The ground heavy 49ers were 26/47 for less than 2 yards per carry

The Falcons and Gurley were 14/52 3.75 yards per carry

The Bears were 23/96, surprisingly having a little success rushing against them.

The Panthers we're 14/37 so looking at their run defense it has been very efficient 3 of their last 4 games.

Thats 82 carries for 240 yards in the last 5 games,  2.85 yards per carry. IMPRESSIVE!

Run Defense

They play a 4-2 nickel base but have safeties who can play the run.

They are aggressive on early downs, they move often and it causes problems.

1st and 10 vs. The 49ers. They are in a 4-2 shade look

They move and bring the sam linebacker off the edge and shift into a cover 3 look

They bring the sam and go cover 3 fire zone.

They slant away from the strength

2nd down and 4, 49ers try to run toss

they are in 4-2 personnel, They bring the SS down to the strong side. The SS turns his back to not allow him to be cracked by the outside man. He does a good job setting the edge and forces it back to the lb.

Davis gets there and takes it on with his inside arm and makes the tackle. The ball gets bounced and Davis reads it nicely.

 

Davis plays off it great and makes an excellent play. 

They fly to the football, no gain on the play. They set the front away from the back. They have every gap covered presnap.

Here on 1st and 10 49ers try split zone.

The Lb are disciplined. Davis fills C gap. 94 sets the edge

Vs The Bucs 5 carries for a whopping 8 yards. Had one called back for a hold but overall, you need to be more efficient in the run game.

2nd and 3 vs the Bucs. They try to run g wrap. Gronk is slow and the de sparks and beats him inside.

Good defense with the spark front.great discipline.

nickel LB is scraping outside.

Pass defense

Let's look at their 3rd down vs the Bucs. The Bucs were 1/5 for 6 yards in 3rd and 10 or less.

They only play 2 personnel groupings , nickel and dime. They turn their front 4 loose which creates problems for opponents. Davis is a great cover lb and can match most te and rb.

They like to run the load front and play some man free and 2 man. on 3rd and 10 or less they were in some  type of man defense or combo defense vs the Bucs on every snap. They ran 1 snap of a cover 2 concept 3x1 with man backside.

Nice job in coverage

3rd and 3 they go man free with a rat defender underneath, again Brady tries to hit gronk on an out cut and is defended well by Jenkins. 

Nice job getting the LB out as the rat player. Safety comes down to play the RB vs 3x1 

After 2 3rd downs of less than 10 where they play man,

3rd and 3 they play combo.

They are playing man down below and cover 2 with everyone else. The dime safety blitz engages once he reads slide protection.

No one is open and Brady throws it away.

Great design here by Allen after going man on the previous 2 snaps.

Again they show pressure with the load front one way with LB showing A and B the other way.

Good design as the coverage is solid downfield

3 clips of the coverages are below:

Later on the 4th snap they go man free. 

SS-on te.    N- on slot wr.     cb-1.        cb-1

and the mike and dime back rush with one responsible for the rb if he releases. The Bucs hit it for 6

Again showing pressure this time the LB outside 

Again man coverage but Brady gets it out quick.

Again man free lurk with the safety looking for a crosser from the stack look.

good pressure rom the saints defense.

Excellent defense 

Saints vs Bucs Week 15  2021

The biggest stat was the Saints held the Bucs to 6-19 on 3rd down.

3rd and 5

Here they run a rat concept with double coverage on Gronk, using the de as a rat defender not allowing Gronk to run his out cut while playing great outside leverage. 

nice defense.

3rd a nd 9

They run lurk with the safety down.

3rd and 9

They play 2 man with a weakside lurk concept(safety to the weakside comes down and plays 2/3 weak. The Bucs design a nice play to free up the slot wr with the pick route but the weak safety comes down and makes a great play. 

2 man lurk is a great coverage as the safety dives to the middle of the field.

lurk with the safety diving down.

Saints vs.Falcons

The Saints had 8 sacks against the Falcons. Many times they were in man free or 2 man  and there was no place to throw the football. They played many snaps of man free or 2 man against the Falcons.

They often play combo with the lb and safety which helps them in the run game.

nice job of combo underneath.

Heres another example where the free safety and the lb combo the rb and tight end and they send a 5 man pressure.

Again showing mug pressure and getting out.

Nice job by Davis underneath playing the help inside against their best player.

Here are some video clips

3rd and 11, the Saints are in dime. 

 They go man free and combo the te and tb with the free safety and mike while bringing 5 

man free 

eyes underneath with LB on the rb

On the goal line on 3rd and 4

they play 2 man but the safeties are helping on any in breaking stuff. Look at cb at the bottom he is outside leverage because the SS is helping him on the in routes. They force the inc. pass, field goal.

3rd down

SS helping on #1 inside

On another 3rd and 3 they go man free again and rush 5 out of dime.

Great pressure as 91 bull rushes Matthews and gets the sack. The falcons keep back in which allows fs to help on any dig in route. rush 5 and get home for the sack. 

Send 5 and get the matchups they want.

pocket collapses and pressure gets home.

On a key 3rd and 2 they go man free with 2 rat underneath defenders. You can see both lbs playing underneath looking for crossers. 

The back doesn't release so the lb can stay underneath which he does and takes away the crosser

good scheme.

LB bails and looks for crosser with rat principles underneath.

Here are some additional clips of the Saints vs the Falcons and some of the man free coverages they ran vs the Falcons. 

2022 3rd down dime package

3rd and 8 vs the Falcons

They ran some dime 3rd down and always seem to adjust it to the qb they are playing. vs the Falcons was no different. They played some 3-2 dime and ran some spy fronts.

good scheme and good man coverage underneath.

QB was a threat to run so they spied him.

good defense by the saints.

Overall, you can see some of the aspects that make the Saints successful.

 A very physical def line, a great mike backer in Davis and a solid secondary. The run defense combined with the pass rush, make them a tough team moving forward.