There weren’t too many unknowns about the New Orleans Saints defense going into Week 1. We had a good idea of what the assignments would be for new safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye, and many starters returned at other spots in the lineup. But the biggest change came in the slot, where New Orleans shipped out C.J. Gardner-Johnson two weeks before the season started. Gardner-Johnson had been a three-down defender for the Saints, so the trade left big shoes to fill. And a couple of Saints stepped up.
Pro Football Focus snap-by-snap charting found that Justin Evans got the lion’s share of snaps in the slot. The veteran safety signed with New Orleans after losing a year of his playing career with an injury, but his strong summer led to this well-earned opportunity. Evans led the team with 25 snaps in the slot, dropping back into pass coverage on 15 of those reps. The Falcons tried him four times but he only yielded one 5-yard reception which did not convert a first down. That’s a productive day in the office.
While Evans did see more slot snaps than anyone else, he was far from the only Saints defender to fill that role. Second-year linebacker Pete Werner moved to the slot 10 times, and that was the matchup Atlanta wanted to exploit — both of the targets sent his way were completed, gaining 31 yards. Fortunately Werner tackles well and prevented either play from converting a first down. You don’t want to see him covering the slot often (and Werner did drop back in coverage there only 5 times), but it can’t be helped when the offense dictates terms when facing man coverage. If Werner’s assignment is the Falcons running back and they motion from the backfield to the slot, he’s got to hang in there.
What about the other players who covered the slot in Week 1? Mathieu, Maye, and linebacker Demario Davis each stepped in for 8, 7, and 6 plays, respectively. They were targeted a combined 6 times, allowing 3 receptions for 11 receiving yards. Only one of those catches picked up a first down.
A handful of other Saints defenders also manned the slot at times, but defensive back P.J. Williams was the only one to cover it on a passing down (he did so twice, stopping Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts short of a first-down conversion on an 8-yard reception). The other players to line up there included linebacker Kaden Elliss (3 snaps), cornerback Bradley Roby (3), cornerback Marshon Lattimore (2), and defensive end Cameron Jordan (1). All of those were running downs, though.
So let’s tally it all together. The small platoon of Saints players covering the slot did so on a combined 37 snaps, drawing 13 targets. Of those passes 6 were completed for 55 yards, converting a single first down. That’s very encouraging.
There will be greater challenges ahead and better slot receivers than those the Falcons threw at them. But this was about as strong a start as you could hope for coming out of the gates. The Saints have said previously they’ll try different combinations each week to try and get the best matchups, so it’s a bit of a work-in-progress. If Sunday’s debut was any indication, they’ve got the right plan in mind.
