Cameron Jordan – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Just one Saints player remains from their last visit to Arrowhead Stadium

There’s plenty of turnover in the NFL, but this is stunning. Just one player remains from the Saints’ last visit to Arrowhead Stadium:

It’s been a long time since the New Orleans Saints last made the trip to Arrowhead Stadium for a game with the Kansas City Chiefs, but they’ll be back on Monday night. There’s plenty of turnover in the NFL, but this is stunning. Just one player remains on the roster from the Saints’ last visit in 2016: Cameron Jordan.

Because this is an inter-conference matchup pitting an NFC team against an AFC opponent, the Saints have only kicked off with the Chiefs a dozen times in franchise history, or once every four years. And with the home-and-away structure rotating each game, it’s been eight seasons since they last played the Chiefs in Kansas City.

None of Jordan’s teammates from that game (a 27-21 loss) are still suiting up for New Orleans, though many of them are still active around the NFL; guys like Thomas Morstead, Wil Lutz, Terron Armstead, and Vonn Bell, among a few others. A couple have turned to coaching, including Jahri Evans (with the Saints), Zach Strief (on the Denver Broncos), and James Laurinaitis (at Ohio State).

That’s not to say the Chiefs have kept their squad together. Just three players are left on the opposing sideline, too — tight end Travis Kelce, defensive tackle Chris Jones, and long snapper James Winchester. In total, of the 89 players who got on the field for at least one snap on offense, defense, or special teams between the two sides, only four are still on their respective rosters.

Hopefully the Saints come away with a win this time. And, hopefully, the next time they visit Arrowhead Stadium they’ll have done a better job drafting, developing, and most importantly retaining their talent.

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What is keeping the Saints defense from being elite?

The New Orleans Saints’ struggles along the defensive line are holding them back. They’ve got to make more plays up front to join the league elite:

The New Orleans Saints defense has been the backbone of this team for a while now. It became more prominent after Drew Brees retired. The revolving door of quarterbacks mixed with the absence of Michael Thomas.

At that point, the defense transitioned into being the face of the team. Demario Davis, Marshon Lattimore and Tyrann Mathieu are three of the biggest names on the team.

The unit has been elite for years, but that isn’t the case anymore. Why?

Outside of Carl Granderson and Bryan Bresee, there’s no other defensive linemen you can count on. The defensive line is a weak point of the defense and is one of the weakest parts of the team.

The lack of pressure on the quarterback allows them to sit back in the pocket and attack the secondary. Quarterbacks haven’t been forced into many rushed decisions because of pass rush. The Saints’ run defense has waned over the years as well.

If you struggle in the trenches, it’s near impossible to be great on that side of the ball. That goes for offense and defense. The Saints inability to close out games is the biggest headline, but they’ve had their struggles mid game.

The Saints have played bend but don’t break defense. The Eagles and Falcons drove the ball down the field repeatedly, and the Saints forced field goals. The struggles along the defensive line are the biggest contributing factor to this. There’s only so long you can bend but not break.

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Cameron Jordan searching for his first sack vs. Falcons post-Matt Ryan

Cameron Jordan is searching for his first sack against the Falcons since they traded Matt Ryan. Maybe Kirk Cousins can help him end that drought:

No one in NFL history has sacked a single quarterback more than Cameron Jordan has sacked former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. With the New Orleans Saints traveling to Atlanta on Sunday, this feels like an appropriate time to remind all Falcons fans of this fact.

Jordan and Ryan were both NFL iron men. During their 11-year overlap in the NFC South, neither of them missed a Saints versus Falcons game. In those 22 matchups, Jordan took Ryan to the turf 24 times, though since he split two sacks with other players, his official count is just 23.

The most consistent stretch came slightly before Ryan left Atlanta for the Indianapolis Colts. Jordan registered three consecutive two-sack games. He failed to register a sack in the next game, then exploded for seven sacks in the following two games. This six-game stretch accounted for 13 of the 23 sacks against Ryan.

Oddly enough, Jordan hasn’t registered a sack against Atlanta since Ryan left in 2022. Kirk Cousins is closer to Ryan’s level of mobility (and Jordan has 3.5 sacks against Cousins in six matchups, including the playoffs), so maybe that could help Jordan end the drought.

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Cameron Jordan on Falcons hate week: ‘Five days of screw them’

Cameron Jordan gets it. It’s Falcons hate week. That goes for everyone on Atlanta’s side, from the fans to Terry Fontenot:

If the New Orleans Saints had a player spokesperson, Cameron Jordan is on the shortlist of players to choose from. He’s probably at the top of the shortlist. He’s one of the most personable players on the team, which you can see as he makes his rounds in the sports media landscape, and he embodies the culture. Those two aspects merged on his own show, as Jordan laid out what hate week is all about.

“When Atlanta comes up on our schedule, we’ve got hate week coming up. There’s going to be five days of ‘Screw them,'” Jordan said, via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.

If you’re on that side, you’re an enemy for a week, and that includes Terry Fontenot. Jordan doesn’t spare anyone, continuing: “The coach, the city, the GM that used to work for us. Everybody’s got to get it, and the city feels that.'”

Jordan is spot on. The city and everyone involved with the Saints knows what time it is. It’s hate week. This isn’t uncommon to hear from fans, and Jordan is one of the few players it isn’t shocking to hear this from.

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After 3 games, it’s clear Saints are reducing Cameron Jordan’s role

After three games, it’s clear the New Orleans Saints coaching staff are reducing Cameron Jordan’s role. It just comes down to who can make the most plays:

Did you know Cameron Jordan played the second-fewest snaps in a game of his career on Sunday? The New Orleans Saints defensive end was on the field for just 20 snaps while taking a backseat to younger teammates Carl Granderson (55) and Chase Young (53) against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jordan managed just 17 snaps in last year’s game with the Detroit Lions — his first since suffering a serious ankle injury, and that remains his career-low. He played 27 snaps in Week 1 (46% of the total) and 34 reps in Week 2 (49%), but that count dropped to 20 (28%) in Week 3.

Jordan was the best player on his side of the ball in New Orleans for more than a decade. But those days are behind us, and the Saints are making adjustments to cope with their new reality. Just ask head coach Dennis Allen.

“I think you’re gonna see more of Chase and Carl,” Allen said Monday, pointing out that those two have been too effective to keep off the field. The other side of that coin is that Jordan hasn’t been effective enough to take snaps from them.

Father Time is undefeated. He’s beaten Drew Brees and Jordan’s own father Steve Jordan, who found great success in 13 years with the Minnesota Vikings. Anyone who has watched Jordan play in recent years has known this day was coming. He only had two sacks last season. Jordan had 8.5 sacks the year before but five of them came in two games.

The signs of his decline have been there for those willing to acknowledge them. It’s why the Saints have poured so many resources into defensive end searching for his successor — signing Young in free agency, developing and extending Granderson, and spending high draft picks on guys like Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner, and Isaiah Foskey. It’s just a shame so few of those players have stepped up into the vacuum created by Jordan’s decline.

Between rotating in other players more heavily and moving him inside to defensive tackle occasionally, the Saints are trying to find ways for Jordan to continue helping the team. He’s under contract through 2025 but we’re clearly approaching the end of the line. And whenever Jordan hangs up his cleats to pick up a microphone for a job in the media, we’ll be ready to support his Hall of Fame candidacy.

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Sights and sounds from first half of Eagles matchup vs. Saints

The Eagles’ offense continued their first-half struggles, but Vic Fangio’s unit was stout and dominant, allowing just 71 yards to the Saints. Jalen Hurts turned the football over twice, and Nick Sirianni aggressively went for a fourth down …

The Eagles trail 3-0 at the end of the first half, and we have the sights and sounds from the Caesars Superdome.

https://twitter.com/JClarkNBCS/status/1837870998370087117

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Saints release unofficial depth chart for Week 2 at Cowboys

The Saints released their unofficial depth chart for Week 2’s game with the Cowboys, and there’s one big change from the roster they shared one week ago:

The New Orleans Saints released their unofficial depth chart for Week 2’s road game with the Dallas Cowboys, and there’s one notable change from the initial roster they shared one week ago.

It’s Will Harris starting at strong safety next too Tyrann Matheiu, not Jordan Howden. That lines up with what we saw in their season-opening in over the Carolina Panthers. Harris didn’t just open the game as a starter and intercept Bryce Young on the game’s first play from scrimmage. He was the only Saints defender to stay on the field for every defensive snap.

Beyond that, things are largely the same. The Saints are still using the “or” designation at backup quarterback for Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler, though it was Rattler relegated to the NFL-mandated role as their emergency quarterback in Week 1. After the game head coach Dennis Allen said that role could change from week to week as both young passers compete for the job as QB2.

There’s one other position where the Saints are using the “or” designation. Carl Granderson and Chase Young are listed as co-starters at right defensive end. What’s interesting is we didn’t see that reflected in Week 1. Granderson lined up on the right side for just 11 of his 40 defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus charting. It was Young dominating snaps on the right side, where he played all 37 snaps. That’s a reversal from last season when Granderson played 846 of his 870 defensive snaps on the right side of the line. Cameron Jordan is the listed starter at the left defensive end spot but he only took 22 of his 27 snaps there.

So this is a good reminder that this is very much an unofficial depth chart for reference purposes, not a set-in-stone pecking order. The Saints will continue to move players around so they can put guys in what they feel is the best position to make a play. Here’s the full thing:

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Cameron Jordan’s end zone pick-six is the Saints Play of the Day

The Saints’ 2024 regular season is finally here, which means our countdown is almost over. Cameron Jordan’s 0-yard pick-six is the Play of the Day:

The New Orleans Saints’ 2024 regular season is finally here, which means our countdown is over. Well, almost. There haven’t been many 0-yard scoring plays in team history so this touchdown by Cameron Jordan truly stands out.

Jordan got a hand up to tip the pass from Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2017, but he took things a step further by tracking the ball and snatching it away in the end zone. It was the third defensive touchdown of the day for New Orleans, which you can watch here. And this one sealed their 52-38 win.

It was a special play made by a special player. Expect this moment to be featured on Jordan’s highlight reel once his eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame enters discussion, whenever that may be. Jordan has come through for the Saints when they’ve needed him to many times over the years. This is just another example of his consistency and unique style of play.

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Saints pick a pass rusher in final preseason 2025 mock draft

The New Orleans Saints could be looking for defensive line help again next season. Saints draft Mykel Williams in B/R 2025 mock draft

The New Orleans Saints open their season against the Carolina Panthers in just a matter of days. Before we completely focus on the upcoming year, let’s take one last look at a 2025 mock draft.

Bleacher Report’s scouting department projected the Saints will end with the 10th overall pick in next year’s draft and draft Georgia’s Mykel Williams, one of the most exciting pass rushers in this draft class.

The position is completely feasible. Chase Young will likely leave after the season. Carl Granderson is the team’s lead pass rusher. Instead of looking for Cameron Jordan’s running mate, they would be looking for his replacement. A major turn of events

There are two points in their explanation that are off-putting specifically in regards to selecting Williams.

“Williams is more of a traits prospect who has impressive strength at the point of attack to collapse the pocket as a pass-rusher than he is a finished product. But he’d be a good addition for the future of New Orleans’ defense,” wrote B/R’s Matt Holder.

The Saints don’t need that type of player in the top-10. New Orleans has had their struggles defending the run, but that area of the draft is meant for pass rushers. That’s what the Saints would need draft an impact rusher in this portion.

Been there, done that. If Williams can return from injury to have a productive season rushing the passer then this conversation changes. For now, the description provided doesn’t feel like the best pick for the Saints with the tenth overall selection.

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Cameron Jordan pushes back on Amon-Ra St. Brown’s big Saints question

Cameron Jordan shut down Amon-Ra St. Brown’s claim that the Saints don’t believe in themselves. He argues they just need a chance:

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is back pushing the “New Orleans Saints don’t believe in themselves” button. He did it with his brother Equanimeous St. Brown earlier this offseason. Now, Amon-Ra tried it with team leader Cameron Jordan. That conversation went differently.

Jordan opened his response by saying, “Just because your brother didn’t know how to answer that question has nothing to do with me.” Of all the people to ask, Jordan was probably the last one to pose this question to. There may not be a member on the roster with greater belief that Jordan, and there’s even less who can convey better.

Jordan gave a clear-cut, straightforward “Yes” to the idea of whether or not the Saints believe they’re contenders. That wasn’t enough for Amon-Ra who wanted to know if the belief was the same as when New Orleans went the NFC championship game.

Jordan believes Week 4 is the true point in which you really know a team. This is when Jordan went on the offensive, telling the wide receiver “As confident as you can be right now, you’ve only really tasted playoff success once.”

It was an important statement to make because you’d think Amon-Ra played for the two-time Supeer Bowl champion Kansas Chiefs by his tone. The Lions should be a good team, but the NFL is volatile. Things change quickly. Confidence doesn’t immediately equate to success.

Jordan ended with a strong endorsement of the defense. “Our defensive line is crazy. Our linebackers studs. Our defensive back… stupid (talented).” There might be someone in the Saints locker room who doesn’t believe they can go the distance this year. But that person for sure isn’t Cameron Jordan.

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