Every 2017 NFL Playoff Team's Biggest Weakness
New Orleans Saints: Pass Rush
Now we're getting into the teams that bring a bit more to the table, making it harder to find true weaknesses. For the Saints, there are really just two options. The first is their inability to stop the rush, ranking 28th for the full season. The second is their pass rush, an issue that hadn't cropped up until recently.
Back in Week 11, the Saints' defense started to accumulate some injuries. The one that got the most pub was stud corner Marshon Lattimore, who ultimately missed two games before returning in Week 14. But they also lost defensive end Alex Okafor to a torn Achilles, and it seems to have put a dent into what they can do defensively.
Here's the comparison of the team's pass rush with and without Okafor. Sack NEP per drop back is simply the expected points lost due to sacks divided by the total number of drop backs with a more negative number being more desirable on defense.
| Saints' Defense | Sack NEP per Drop Back | Sack Rate |
|---|---|---|
| With Okafor | -0.13 | 7.58% |
| Without Okafor | -0.09 | 6.25% |
A Sack NEP per drop back mark of -0.13 for the full season would have ranked sixth in the league; -0.09 would have been 24th. That's superbly significant.
Now, instead of being poor just against the rush, there are suddenly multiple holes in the defense. They've still got talent in guys like Lattimore and Ken Crawley, but it's not the same defense we saw in the first half of the season.
The Panthers aren't the most pass-heavy team in the league, so it's possible we won't see this right away. They could face the Philadelphia Eagles without Wentz the following week. But once they face a team like the Minnesota Vikings or Los Angeles Rams, this sudden weakness could flash its ugliness in a hurry. The Saints are going to need their corners to achieve a whole new level of nastiness if they're going to ride deep into the postseason.
