Defenses have caught up, and Saints and Rams could struggle to find answers

The Saints and Rams are good football teams, 12-2 and 11-3, both division winners. But with the playoffs rapidly approaching, they’re in some trouble and need to find answers with offenses that have been considerably slowed.

There’s a trend in play with both of them the past two or three or weeks – it happens one week and then it happens the second week and then the third week it starts to become something that you look at and realize it’s a copycat league.

Dallas holds the Saints to 10 points and then the next week they’re struggling to move the ball against Tampa Bay, one of the worst defenses in the league.

Teams see what other teams have done and they’ll test you on those things to see if you can pick up blitzes or execute your offense at a certain level against a certain scheme. If you’re not able to answer those questions, it just amplifies.

The hard part is righting that ship and finding a way to make something positive happen.

McVay moot

With the Rams, it’s common knowledge now that Sean McVay is going to talk to Jared Goff until there are 15 seconds remaining on the play clock and after that time they’re set. So what teams have been doing lately is holding their defensive look and not moving into it until after that 15 seconds so McVay is out of the equation and it’s all on Goff, who has had success but is still a relatively inexperienced quarterback.

Some teams might change their defense entirely after McVay has been cut off. Goff might have an inside zone run and it’s a good look, but as soon as that 15 seconds hits, the defense changes that look and that inside zone run is now being run into an eight-man box.

That has continued the past two weeks and you’ve seen the Rams struggle.

Also, their offense runs through Todd Gurley. It’s run and it’s play-action pass. Now, teams are giving them looks to where they have to just drop back and throw it, where play-action pass is not optimal, and they aren’t a good drop-back team.

Five of Goff’s last seven interceptions have been off just straight drop-back passes, not utilizing play action, not utilizing Gurley to confuse defenses. That needs to be answered. The Rams have to find a way to be able to move the football without relying so much on McVay and that communication with Goff and getting in the perfect play.

Limiting the Saints

The Saints are in a similar situation. It used to be when you played the Saints you have to make Drew Brees hand off the football. To Payton’s credit, he has always wanted to run the football. The Saints’ Super Bowl season was fueled by an effective running game.

But what you’re seeing on film, what teams have done against the Saints the past few weeks, is they’ve really loaded up to stop running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.

Since the Dallas game, teams are playing the Saints in kind of a small-ball fashion. When Kamara is on the field, defenses are pulling a linebacker out and putting another corner or another safety into the game to cover Kamara one-on-one. They’re saying, “You’re not going to consistently hand the ball off and try to run it with Kamara out there. He’s too much of a threat in the passing game.”

The Saints used to have guys like Willie Snead who could step up and make plays if their run game got bogged down, and this season other guys have done that. Drew has thrown a lot of touchdowns to a lot of different guys. But other than Michael Thomas, they’re not guys who really worry a defense.

Sure, it’s Brees throwing them the football. But Ben Watson, he has played good tight end for a long time, but he’s not single-handedly going to beat you.

Teams have said, “We’re not going to let Kamara and Ingram beat us. Drew Brees is going to have to beat us.” It’s crazy to say that, but that’s how teams have been playing them. It goes against the norm, but the Cowboys gave everyone a pretty good blueprint. It is a personnel issue and it’s hard to just say, “We can fix this with scheme,” because you really can’t. Those other guys have to step up and make plays.

They shouldn’t have these issues right now, but they do. Teams have caught up to them and they have questions to answer.

Both the Saints and the Rams have a chance to go all the way, they just have a few things that have become a theme as far as the type of defenses they’re facing. They’re questions they have to answer, and I guarantee you they’re thinking about it right now.

Question of the week

From Linda Ordway: Why do football players wear those tight black bands on their arms?

Le’Veon Bell always had one on his left arm, the arm he most often uses to cradle the football when he runs (which he hasn’t done this season). I used to think that they were pretty slippery and would be something you wouldn’t want to wear if you’re carrying the football, but some of the bands have some tackiness to them, have some good grip.

Another reason to wear a band is for protection. Some of the different surfaces, even grass, you land on your elbow, you land on your arm, you want to protect that, especially on the FieldTurf. Those little rubber pellets get into your skin and you can get infections. It’s nasty. In the locker room, trainers are constantly saying, “Cover your arms. Do everything you can to keep the cuts and little things from being an issue.”

Those are two possibilities. But I think the main reason is probably just guys like the look – especially the look of a star. LeBron wears a sleeve, so everyone wants to wear a sleeve. You go out to practice with your son at the junior high or high school and everyone has the sleeves on and you’re thinking, “OK, you guys have been watching too much TV.”

David Carr answers your questions

Each week, David Carr will answer a reader’s question in his column. Submit your questions by email to sports@fresnobee.com (please put “David Carr” in the subject line)