The New Orleans Saints must make big changes to end their four-game losing streak, but where should they start? Head coach Dennis Allen isn’t going anywhere so the changes need to begin on the field. And with starting cornerback Paulson Adebo setting a new career-high in penalty yards, it’s time rookie second-round draft pick Kool-Aid McKinstry get a shot.
Adebo’s 101 penalty yards this season are a career-high, and that’s with two of his penalties being declined (he’s never had multiple fouls declined in a single season before). He gave up 76 penalty yards as a rookie in 2021, 73 penalty yards in 2022, and just 27 penalty yards in 2023, but now he’s fallen back into bad habits. That regression must come with consequences.
And the team can’t afford his boom-or-bust play style. It’s a great thing that Adebo leads the defense with 3 interceptions and 10 pass breakups. On top of the penalties, he’s getting beat in coverage. Pro Football Reference charting has him with 30 receptions and 527 yards allowed. Only one other defender has given up more than 400 yards this year, and that’s Benjamin St-Juste at 402. The gap between Adebo and St-Juste is as wide as that between St-Juste and DeMarvion Overshown, whose yards allowed rank 16th-most.
Let’s check another outlet. Pro Football Focus has Adebo with 33 catches and 426 yards, so they’ve charged some big gains to other players. But Adebo’s 426 yards allowed are still the most in the league. Even if you assign blame to another defender in the secondary here or there, he’s still getting beaten far too often and for too many big gains.
Those mistakes extend to other phases, too. PFF charged Adebo with missing four tackles against the Buccaneers last Sunday, putting him at six misses on the season. PFR was more forgiving and had him with just one missed tackle this year, but there are often disagreements on stats like these. Either way the image of Chris Godwin shoving a stiff arm into Adebo’s face mask so he could pick up 7 more yards from deep inside Tampa Bay territory stands out.
Will McKinstry be a better fit? Maybe, maybe not. It’s worth finding out. Adebo was given a big opportunity to help himself in a contract year, coming off his best season as a pro, but he blew it and the Saints’ season is going down with him. They can’t keep doing what they’re doing after giving up 594 yards from scrimmage and allowing 51 points to be scored on their heads, extending a losing streak to four miserable weeks. The Saints drafted McKinstry for a reason. See if he can hold his own and let Adebo earn back his spot in the lineup after being at fault on so many negative plays.
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