Tag: Tyrann Mathieu

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith unamused by Saints running up the score

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith unamused by the Saints running up the score, confronts Dennis Allen at midfield:

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith didn’t exactly shake hands with  his New Orleans Saints counterpart Dennis Allen after coming up short in Sunday’s 48-17 loss, storming up to the Saints head coach at midfield. Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu returned an interception 74 yards to set up a Jamaal Williams touchdown run in the game’s final minutes when New Orleans was already leading by 24 points.

“What was that?” Smith snapped. The pair exchanged words as a hot mic picked up Smith’s complaints. “That was (expletive)ing bull(expletive).”

Allen responded with “I understand that” before they parted ways, though Smith continued to look over his shoulders and stare daggers at his counterpart.

Sure, Allen choosing to run up the score when the game was no longer in doubt is a little classless. It could be seen as improper or an affront to good sportsmanship. Smith certainly took offense to it. But you’re supposed to compete and if Smith didn’t want the Saints to score his defense should have gotten a stop. And when you’re playing a heated rivalry game like this, everything is on the table.

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Why was Johnathan Abram, not Jordan Howden, starting at safety for Saints?

Why was Johnathan Abram, not Jordan Howden, starting at safety for the Saints? The coaches had a good reason, and Abram made the most of his opportunity:

Jordan Howden has been a regular face in the New Orleans Saints secondary, so it was a little jarring to see him not in the starting lineup next to Tyrann Mathieu on Sunday. But the Saints coaching staff had a good reason for making a change: Howden was sidelined in practice to start the week with an illness that was still limiting him.

That prompted them to call up Johnathan Abram, who took Howden’s place as Marcus Maye’s fill-in. And Abram certainly made the most of that opportunity. He tied with Mathieu for the second-most tackles in Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while also forcing a fumble, intercepting a pass, and breaking up another throw into his coverage.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen complimented Abram’s performance after the game, saying: “I thought he played really well, I was extremely proud of him. Happy for him, the way that he played. Great effort play on the strip to cause a fumble that Demario (Davis) recovered. There was a number of things he did well, but that stands out.”

Allen pointed to Abram as a veteran in the defensive backs room who has spent more time studying game tape than maybe anyone else on the roster; Abram started out on the practice squad to start the year before getting chances to dress out for games here or there prior to this start. Props to him for seizing his opportunity.

Maybe it’ll lead to a larger role for him with free agency on the horizon. A former Raiders first-round draft pick out of Mississippi State, Abram suited up for a couple of different teams last year before he reunited with Derek Carr in New Orleans. He quickly established himself as a valuable player on the depth chart, and the Saints are fortunate to have him. We’ll see if he can continue to make a positive difference in Week 18’s regular season finale.

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Several Saints land in the top-10 of Pro Bowl Games voting by position

The Saints have had a Pro Bowl selection for 15 years in a row. There are 3 Saints in the top 10 of their position in Pro Bowl votes.

The New Orleans Saints have had at least one Pro Bowl selection in each of the previous 15 years. For many years, it was a shock if Drew Brees wasn’t a selection. After his retirement, the streak has persisted even through some of the Saints’ struggles.

Can they make it 16 in a row with another selection in 2024? The NFL has released the top- 10 vote-getters by position for this year’s Pro Bowl Games. Three Saints look to be in position to extend the streak:

Tyrann Mathieu is the Saints’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee

Tyrann Mathieu has been nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for the second time, this time playing for his hometown team

The New Orleans Saints have nominated safety Tyrann Mathieu for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. For many around the league this is considered the most prestigious award the NFL hands out every year. The award is based on a player’s contributions in the community away from the field as well as their on-field production. This award is placed on a pedestal because it values who the player truly is.

This is Mathieu’s second time being nominated. In 2021, Mathieu was the Kansas City Chiefs’ nominee. Clearly, he ingratiates himself into the community he plays in. That was no hard task in New Orleans, as coming to the Saints meant returning to his hometown. His involvement and impact on the city has only grown since joining the Saints.

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Once famous, the Saints’ ‘Domefield advantage’ is a thing of the past

Once famous, the Saints’ ‘Domefield advantage’ is a thing of the past. New Orleans doesn’t have a team worth showing up for:

There was a lot of Detroit Lions blue in the stands for Sunday’s game at the Caesars Superdome, which saw cheers for the New Orleans Saints drowned out by visiting fans.

It’s a real shame. The Saints cultivated a strong “Domefield advantage” for years when Sean Payton and Drew Brees were running the show, making the historic venue one of the NFL’s toughest environments to play in. Derek Carr and Dennis Allen don’t bring the same inspiring presences those two future Hall of Famers once did.

That strong and reliable home crowd is no longer here. And no one knows that better than veterans with local ties like Tyrann Mathieu, who noted the boos from Saints fans when Carr took the field after an early interception. That kind of negative feedback is unpleasant, but it’s what they’ve earned by playing poorly.

“Obviously it’s disappointing. I think we all need to play better. I think growing up in this city, it’s no secret that we’re all invested. Obviously they have a right to apply pressure, so to speak, but at the end of the day we’re one family. One community. It’s going to take all of us,” Mathieu said in his postgame press conference.

He later added, “Obviously we have to play better. We have to give them something to cheer for. We have to give them something to be proud of. And so I think that responsibility falls on us as players.”

Mathieu is right. The Saints haven’t defended their home turf well enough in recent years; they won nearly as many games in 2020 alone (6) as in the last three years combined (8). And that’s creating opportunities for visiting fans to take over games and make their presence felt. Check out the sights and sounds from the game for yourself:

Opportunistic Saints defense can take advantage of Jared Goff’s mistakes

An opportunistic Saints defense can take advantage of Jared Goff’s mistakes. The Lions quarterback has committed six turnovers in his last two games:

An opportunistic New Orleans Saints defense must take advantage of Jared Goff’s mistakes. The Detroit Lions quarterback has committed six turnovers in his last two games, losing three fumbles to the Green Bay Packers last week after throwing three interceptions to the Chicago Bears a week earlier. Goff is in a bit of a rut, and the Saints need to capitalize on it. He’s thrown eight interceptions and fumbled five times this season.

That’s easier said than done for most teams, but New Orleans is known for its ballhawks. The Saints defense has intercepted the second-most passes in the NFL this season (14 in 11 games) while doing an admirable job of recovering fumbled balls from the offense — nine different defenders have recovered a fumble this season, and cornerback Paulson Adebo has two of them.

Adebo also has four interceptions in just nine games, leading the team. Strong safety Tyrann Mathieu is second with three picks, and his tag-team partner Marcus Maye has two of his own (though the free safety may not play this week due to a shoulder injury). Five other Saints defenders have intercepted passes this season, too.

Taking the ball away becomes even more important when you consider all the struggles the Saints have experienced offensively. The more opportunities the defense can create for Derek Carr and company, the better. Shorter fields and swings of momentum are going to be critical against a talented and well-coached Lions team. If Goff does a better job protecting the football, Saints fans may be in for a long afternoon.

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Baldy’s Breakdowns highlights Tyrann Mathieu’s big game vs. Falcons

Baldy’s Breakdowns highlighted Tyrann Mathieu’s big game against the Falcons. The 11th-year pro is still a playmaker:

NFL analyst Brian Baldinger is known for his enthusiasm and keen eye, and he knows a great player when he sees one. The New Orleans Saints may have fallen short against the Atlanta Falcons last week but Baldinger made time to talk up Tyrann Mathieu’s performance.

The 11th-year safety is still making plays. Mathieu did his part to help the Saints compete in Atlanta by twice intercepting quarterback Desmond Ridder and coming through with some much-needed stops in the secondary.

“He’s still doing this kind of stuff,” Baldinger said, focusing on a touchdown-saving tackle against Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson, who had just bowled over one of Mathieu’s teammates. “He just finishes these plays. He’s always been an excellent tackler.”

Baldinger pointed to a big hit on tight end Kyle Pitts later in the game — which is no small feat considering Pitts outweighs Mathieu by about 60 pounds. Pitts didn’t catch another pass throughout the game.

And then there were the interceptions. As Baldinger put it, Mathieu was in the right place at the right time to make a play: “32 career interceptions, 150 starts. What a player. What a career.”

Mathieu has been a great signing for the Saints since he came home to New Orleans. Hopefully the team can do a better job capitalizing on the opportunities he’s giving their offense with these takeaways and stops in the open field. It would be a shame to waste his efforts in the twilight of his career.

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Saints report card: How New Orleans graded in Week 12 loss vs. Falcons

Safeties receive the highest grade on the team, while the defensive line and linebackers graded poorly in our Week 12 Saints report card:

The New Orleans Saints lost to the Atlanta Falcons and many things went wrong. It wasn’t all bad, though, as some positions performed well on Sunday.

Here’s a letter grade for each position group after reviewing their performance:

Saints’ defensive struggles leave Dennis Allen little to hang his hat on

Dennis Allen’s defense can’t rush the passer or stop the run — things you’d expect of a New Orleans Saints team built by a defensive-minded head coach:

Dennis Allen’s defense can’t rush the passer or stop the run — things you’d expect of a New Orleans Saints team built by a defensive-minded head coach. So what can the New Orleans Saints head coach lean on when asked to highlight his team’s strengths?

That’s exactly what reporters asked Allen on Monday after his team’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and he pointed to their “opportunistic” success in takeaways. He’s right to do so. The Saints have intercepted 14 passes in 11 games (with Tyrann Mathieu snagging two of them in Atlanta), second-most around the NFL. They’ve also recovered 6 fumbles, which are trickier and tend to vary wildly from one year to the next.

But those turnovers make up a very small percent of plays; the Saints have faced 358 pass attempts this season. Their opponents have run 681 plays in total. If those 20 takeaways are the bright spot, the other 97% of your defensive snaps might be concerning.

And they are. As we said at the top, the Saints struggle to stop the run. They’re allowing 4.5 yards per carry (tied for 6th-most) and 124 rushing yards per game (10th-highest). Teams know they can run on New Orleans. Just look at the Falcons’ game-winning drive in which they bludgeoned the Saints with 10 consecutive runs to drive 54 yards downfield and kick a field goal to put the game out of reach.

Things aren’t better on passing downs. The Saints may be getting their hands on a lot of passes (thier 72 pass deflections lead the league) but they aren’t impacting the passer often enough. They’ve sacked opposing quarterbacks just 18 times, tied for 2nd-fewest in the NFL, and their Pro Football Reference pressure rate is 8th-lowest (18.2%). They might be pressuring quarterbacks into bad decisions here or there, but too often they aren’t moving the passer off his spot. And when they do send pressure, it isn’t getting home with a drive-killing sack.

It isn’t all bad. The Saints have performed well on third downs this year; their 35.6% conversion rate allowed ranks 8th-best. And there’s a lot to be said for taking the ball away to give your offense more opportunities. But they’re failing to do things well on a play-by-play basis. They’re getting pushed back against the run. They aren’t pressuring and sacking quarterbacks. They aren’t doing the things that you should see from a head coach from a defensive background.

And that’s our central question: if Allen can’t hang his hat on his defense, what can he do? Why should the Saints stick with him as their head coach if the unit he’s built and managed for years is falling off this badly?

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What went right, what went wrong in Saints’ Week 12 loss to Falcons

Instant analysis: What went right and what went wrong in Saints’ Week 12 loss to Falcons? And what’s the bottom line?

It was tough to sit and watch the New Orleans Saints collapse on Sunday. That’s been the case for many Sundays this season — but especially for an emotional rivalry game against a division rival. That the Atlanta Falcons came out of this game sitting on top of the NFC South standings is only more disappointing.

How did we get here? Let’s break it down by asking and answering three questions:

What went right?

What went wrong?

And what’s the bottom line?