Monday night's game with the Atlanta Falcons was hard for New Orleans Saints fans to stomach, but some members of the organization knew trouble was brewing. One of them was defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, according to ESPN analyst Troy Aikman. He shared a very revealing quote after the Falcons ran for 200-plus yards midway through the fourth quarter.
"He doesn't have any answers, and I think he knew it when we talked to him," Aikman said, referring to media meetings with Saints coaches earlier in the week. "I think he knew. He didn't tell us, but the guys that are out, some of their big edge rushers and guys who can play the run and set the edge, they're not on the field."
The Saints knew they would be without several impactful defenders
up front; edge rusher Carl Granderson and his backup Anfernee Jennings, plus linebacker Kaden Elliss, who signed a $33 million contract this offseason. Without them, Staley had to task backups like Tyree Wilson (inactive the last two games) and Fadil Diggs (last year's seventh round pick, on the practice squad) with manning up against a good Atlanta offensive line. That was a mismatch.
But the problem goes beyond injuries. No. 1 cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry was repeatedly picked on in coverage and drew multiple costly penalties. Established starters like the other cornerback, Quincy Riley, safety Julian Blackmon, and defensive tackles Nathan Shepherd all had high-profile negative plays. Staley's defense relies on everyone executing their responsibilities perfectly. They just don't have the talent to recover when someone is out of position.
Aikman acknowledged as much, adding: "They just don't have that star defender that can erase the mistakes of other people. This was a matchup issue coming in, and it's proven true."
There's not much to do for it now. And at 1-3 to start the season, the Saints are not in a position to start trading draft picks for other teams' stars in search of new deals (like cornerback Joey Porter Jr.). They'll have to make do with what they have until the offseason gives them opportunities to upgrade. And it'll be Staley and Kellen Moore making those moves. As we saw with Dennis Allen's tenure, the Saints are nothing if not patient.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Troy Aikman says Saints DC Brandon Staley knew trouble was brewing
