Tag: Cameron Jordan

Saints and Packers looking to repeat performances in this category

The New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers don’t have much in common, but their defenses are both coming off high-sack performances:

The New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers are in two different places in many major categories. One’s headed to the playoffs, the other is headed to the couch. It’s safe to say they don’t share many similarities, but there is one thing that is similar coming into the game. Each team is coming off of a monster sack performance.

The Saints brought down the elusive Jayden Daniels on eight different occasions. Bryan Bresee, the Saints best pass rusher this year, surprisingly didn’t get in on the action. Chase Young and Cameron Jordan led the charge. Those two have come along recently

The Packers terrorized Geno Smith and Sam Howell last Sunday. Green Bay sacked the Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks seven times..

The Saints pass rush hasn’t been great this season, but that strong performance versus the Washington Commanders places them just outside of the top ten. Green Bay big game seats them just inside the ten highest sack totals in the NFL.

Each team is looking for a repeat performance from their productive pass rush, and that would go a long ways towards a win for whoever accomplishes the feat.

Darren Rizzi sees a ‘reenergized’ Cameron Jordan amid late-season hot sreak

Cameron Jordan’s production has soared in the past few weeks, and Darren Rizzi believes some changes have reenergized the defensive end:

One player that has stepped up his play in recent weeks is Cameron Jordan. Jordan didn’t have a good season last year and started this season slow as well. The defensive end even began to be phased out of the rotation.

Jordan has awoken over the last five weeks. He’s getting to the quarterback and making impact plays again. Darren Rizzi described Jordan as being “reenergized” during this hot streak.

But what changed? Why is one of the leaders of the New Orleans Saints suddenly improving and feeling reenergized in the middle of the season?

The Saints changed philosophically when they changed head coaches. Rizzi moved position coaches around, too, putting longtime pass-rush specialist Brian Young in a more prominent role working with the entire defensive line, instead of Todd Grantham.

Jordan received one of the biggest direct impacts from the changes. Instead of being phased out of the rotation, Jordan has returned to being a critical piece. Pro Football Focus charting has credited him with 26 pressures this season and 15 of them have come in the five games since Rizzi took over and charged Young with livening up the defensive line, including Jordan.

Rizzi points to playing time and style of play as reasons for this improvement from Jordan: “I think the fact he has more opportunity to play, number one. We made the change and tried to simplify things up front these last five games.”

Rizzi also mentioned the way the Saints are practicing as a benefit to Jordan as well. There have been many changes in New Orleans since Rizzi has taken over and many of them have benefitted Jordan.

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Changes at defensive line coach paying off for Saints’ stars

The move to Brian Young as Saints defensive line coach has produced an uptick in Bryan Bresee, Cameron Jordan and Chase Young’s performance:

The changes at head coach and defensive line coach have been the most impactful changes of the New Orleans Saints’ season.

Switching from Dennis Allen to Darren Rizzi gave the team a needed shift in mentality and energy. One of the biggest moves Rizzi made was making the shift from Todd Grantham to Brian Young as the defensive line coach.

Since Young has taken over, the stars of the unit have blossomed in the pass rush. 10 sacks are in reach for Bryan Bresee. Cameron Jordan is making plays again. Chase Young is putting together consistent performances.

We look at the last two games, but you can trace the bump in consistency to the moment Brian Young took over, and Jordan and Chase Young have been the biggest benefactors.

Chase Young had sacks in back to back games after the coaching switch, only time this year. He later delivered a multi-sack game as well. Jordan’s first sack of the season came in Brian Young’s first game as defensive line coach.

While this may all feel coincidental, Jordan credited the coaching change for the Saints’ strong performance on the defensive line. This came on the heels of sacking Jayden Daniels eight times.

It’s not a coincidence. The Saints just have the right man leading the unit.

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Cameron Jordan praises coaching change after Saints’ 8-sack performance

Cameron Jordan commended coach Brian Young for a quick turnaround on the defensive line after the Saints’ 8-sack performance against the Washington Commanders:

The New Orleans Saints had quite the day on the defensive line, as they were generating an immense amount of pressure against the Washington Commanders, and ended the game with a whopping eight sacks for 37 yards. This was one of the best defensive performances we have seen from the Saints front-seven unit in a decent amount of time, and veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan credited their new position coach Brian Young for the improvement we have seen in recent weeks.

Young replaced Todd Grantham as defensive line coach a few weeks back, in the wake of Dennis Allen being dismissed as head coach. Grantham was reassigned to work as a senior assistant but left recently to join Oklahoma State’s staff.

“Just the way he’s able to realize talents and utilize the D-line to the best of its abilities since he’s sort of took over. And you can see the night and day (difference),” Jordan told reporters after the game. “When you have a guy who’s been a D-lineman for 30-plus years, you can see its effects.”

The last two weeks especially, there has been a significantly improved output from the Saints in terms of pass-rush success, and one of the most notable turnarounds has been Chase Young, who ended the day with two sacks after a 12-pressure performance last week.

Young’s biggest issue early in the season was generating pressure but not impacting the opposing quarterbacks with hits or sacks, however as of late that has not been the case, and the Saints have found a way to unlock his potential. Hopefully coach Brian Young will be able to continue this turnaround, and the Saints can find the defensive line success they had in years prior.

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Cameron Jordan had his first multi-sack game since 2022 season

Cameron Jordan had his first multi-sack game since 2022 against the Washington Commanders. The New Orleans Saints pass rush is heating up:

This time of year is usually prime time for New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan.

On Sunday against the Washington Commanders, Jordan achieved his first multi-sack game since late in the 2022 season, back on New Year’s Day 2023 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Jordan tallied up three sacks on Eagles backup Gardner Minshew in a game in which they would win 20-10.

Jordan had two sacks against Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, to bump his total to three on the season. Coincidentally, Jordan’s three sacks in 2024 have all came during interim head coach Darren Rizzi’s tenure.

It has been very evident that Cam’s play as of late has been much more impressive in this second half of the season. On Sunday, his play was crucial in containing a player like Daniels and making sure that he doesn’t extend plays on the perimeter.

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New Orleans Saints set season-high in sacks vs. Commanders

In just the first half, Saints have recorded their most sacks in a game this season vs. the Commanders and rookie QB Jayden Daniels:

It’s only the first half, but the New Orleans Saints have already recorded five sacks. That’s more than New Orleans has recorded in an entire game this year. To make it more impressive, they are doing this against the elusive Jayden Daniels

Ugo Amadi,  Demario Davis, Willie Gay, Cameron Jordan, and Chase Young all recorded a sack in the first 30 minutes.

Containing Washington Commanders was a point of emphasis for the New Orleans Saints. Joe Woods told reporters this week that “We’re going to have different ways to control him and keep him in the pocket.”

There have been a few plays Daniels has used his legs to extend a play, but the Saints have done a better job than expected against him. You have to tip your hat to the secondary as well, because some of these sacks have been a product of Daniels having nowhere to go.

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Cameron Jordan sacked the 48th quarterback of his 14-year career

Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan sacked the 48th quarterback of his 14-year career, bringing down Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels on Sunday:

Cameron Jordan sacks Jayden Daniels for his 119.5th sack. Daniels is the 48th quarterback Jordan has sacked in his Saints career.

— John (@johnsigler.bsky.social) December 15, 2024 at 1:45 PM

The New Orleans Saints defensive line started strong against the Washington Commanders in Week 15, and 14-year veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan managed to bring down Jayden Daniels in the first half. This sack was good for the 48th different quarterback he has sacked in his career, which brings his career total to 119.5.

Jordan has had a slow season in that category so far, with this being only his second sack on the season which would tie 2023 as his second lowest total (aside from his rookie year, in which he only had one). This brings him ever closer to 22nd on the all-time sacks list as well, where he looks to pass Clyde Simmons who has a total of 121.5. We will see where Jordan ends up finishing his career in this category, but regardless it will be very close to the top of the list.

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Cameron Jordan had the perfect response to Marshon Lattimore’s debut vs. Saints

Cameron Jordan found out Marshon Lattimore would make his debut against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and he reacted just like any other fan:

Marshon Lattimore had to return from injury at some point, and all signs point to him making his Washington Commanders debut against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan had an extremely relatable reaction to this news: “Just knew it. Just knew he was going to wait for this game.”

This was a predictable scenario, so we’ve been tracking Lattimore’s health for a couple of weeks. His practice status improved just before the Commanders’ bye week. That was a huge signal he’d be ready for Week 15, coming out the bye, against his former team.

Jordan, like many Saints fans, still believes in Lattimore’s talent. Jordan gave Lattimore his credit, calling him the team’s best cornerback. Quantity of games has been a much larger obstacle than quality of play for the former Pro Bowler.

 As the Saints take on the Commanders, Lattimore will be going against a depleted Saints receiving corps. Regardless of who he’s facing, the “Marshon Lattimore Revenge Game” is the attention-grabber of Week 15.

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Saints add talented pass-rusher in latest ESPN mock draft

The New Orleans Saints were linked to an elite athlete at defensive end from an SEC powerhouse in the latest ESPN mock draft:

The New Orleans Saints have plenty of holes that need to be filled this offseason, but the defensive line stands out as one of the biggest.

Despite the Saints pouring countless assets into the defensive line, they are still among the weakest teams in the NFL at getting to the quarterback.

To help fill this void, ESPN analyst Field Yates had New Orleans select Georgia Bulldogs defensive end Mykel Williams with the No. 10 overall selection in his latest mock draft.

Here is what Yates had to say about the selection:

“The SEC championship game was a great chance to see why Williams is such a tantalizing prospect. He notched two sacks in an overtime win against Texas, giving him five on the season. Williams is as impressive physically as any player in the class, as he has rare length and fluidity for the edge position. His ability to bend the edge and generate pressure makes him a potential Pro Bowl-level pass rusher in the NFL, particularly when he is asked to pin his ears back and rush more than he has for a deep Georgia front.

The Saints need the help, ranking 28th in pass rush win rate (35.0%). Cameron Jordan will be 36 next season, and Chase Young is signed for only this season.”

Williams is the quintessential early draft Saints pass rusher. He is very large and athletic, but has not been very productive in his college career.

The junior has 14 sacks over three seasons with 23 total tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles.

While it makes sense for New Orleans to draft a pass-rusher, and Williams is an exciting athlete, it would hurt to see them fall back into this trap once again. They clearly have not been able to develop this type of player in the past, so it may be time to try something new.

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Cameron Jordan only needed six letters to react to last-second Rams loss

Cameron Jordan only needed six letters to describe the reaction in the Saints locker room after their last-second loss to the Rams:

There’s a lot you could say about the New Orleans Saints’ loss tot he Los Angeles Rams last week. It was another missed opportunity to right the ship and salvage a season some would say has already been lost. It was a waste of a great effort by Cameron Jordan and the defense, who pitched a rare shutout in the first half. It was something of a disaster as star playmakers like Taysom Hill went down with season-ending injuries. And there were elements of encouragement when backup wide receivers like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kevin Austin Jr., and Dante Pettis came through in clutch moments.

But Jordan needed just one six-letter word to describe the mood in the locker room after players walked off the field, having taken a 21-14 loss after leading for most of three quarters.

“Pissed,” Jordan told reporters after the game. “We let one get away. We don’t have enough time to let one get away.”

He’s not wrong. The Saints are barely holding on as the NFC playoff picture gets painted without them. They’re 4-8 and even playing in a weak division won’t be enough to squeeze them in for January’s playoff tournament. They can’t afford to lose any more ground.

Jordan, specifically, is someone running out of time. The longest-tenured player in New Orleans is facing a decision on retirement this offseason with just one year left on his contract; his workload has been reduced at times as the team has tried to rotate younger players into the lineup to try and find a spark. These next five games might be his last five games in a Saints uniform.

So letting an opportunity to beat a team that’s given them so much trouble over the years is frustrating. For the stakes to be as high as they are? Doubly so. Things might have gone differently if the offense could have ended more drives with points early on, or if protection had held up half a second longer on their final play from scrimmage — allowing Derek Carr to find an open man in the end zone right as Juwan Johnson stepped into a hole in the Rams’ coverage.

But that’s a whole lot of words to achieve the same result Jordan did in just one. The Saints don’t have time to harbor regrets or vent frustrations. All they can do now is focus on their next game and go to work.

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