For the second week in the row, the New Orleans Saints defense had a chance to close out a game and failed. This is beginning to feel like a regular occurrence for them, and this is one of those times the eye test and statistics tell the same story.
Whether it’s a Paulson Adebo pass interference penalty or Jordan Howden running into Marshon Lattimore for a coverage bust, the Saints defense has struggled to close the game. Dennis Allen’s unit is supposed to be the strength of the team, but they’ve failed in the biggest moments. Holding onto these late leads is a weakness of the unit. Costing the Saints’ victories in back-to-back weeks has brought the weakness to the forefront.
But the trend extends beyond the past two weeks. Since Allen was promoted to head coach, the Saints are 0-4 when opponents start drives between 2:30 and 1:00 left in regulation while leading by 6 points or fewer. The last two games fall in this category, and the defense faltered in two similar situations in 2022.
The situations vary in those four games. There have been times where the opponent needed a touchdown to win and times where a field goal sealed the deal. Against the Bengals in 2022, the Saints gave up a touchdown on the first play of the drive.
Regardless of the situation or score, the Saints defense has never stood tall under Allen’s leadership. He may coach up a strong defense for 58 minutes, but he hasn’t taught them to be clutch for the final 120 seconds.
