How the Saints Can Squash the Seahawks Running Game

How the New Orleans run defense matches up against an explosive Seattle running game in Week 5.

Author:
Bob Rose
Publish date:
Oct 6, 2022 11:58 AM EDT

In this story:

The New Orleans Saints come into a week four home game against the Seattle Seahawks facing a must win situation. New Orleans lost to the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday in London and come into this contest with a three-game losing streak.

The Saints played arguably their most complete game of the young season despite the loss, but continue to be better on the defensive side of the ball. It’s a unit that been less inflicted by injuries than their offensive counterparts, but still got off to a bumpy start to the year.

New Orleans ranks 12th in total yardage after four weeks, but 20th in points allowed. Part of that is because of two touchdown returns by opposing defenses against the team’s offense and other turnovers that set up an opponent’s offense in good field position.

The Saints host a 2-2 Seahawks team that many expected to be in a rebuilding year after the offseason trade of QB Russell Wilson. Seattle has surprised a lot of people, ranking tenth in total offensive yards and 11th in points scored. While QB Geno Smith has surpassed expectations so far, he’s also been supported by an explosive running attack.

After early season struggles, the Saints run defense is beginning to resemble the unit that dominated the NFL for the last four years. Will they be able to shut down Seattle’s running game and force Geno Smith to beat them through the air?

New Orleans Run Defense

24 points per game (20th)
124.6 rushing yards/game (20th)
4.0 yards per carry (11th)
3 rushing touchdowns
12 tackles for loss
32.8% 3rd Down Percentage (7th)

Oct 25, 2021; New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner (20) tackles Seattle Seahawks running back Alex Collins (41). Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY

After shockingly giving up 201 rushing yards to the Falcons in the season opener, the Saints have allowed an average of 99 yards on the ground to their last three opponents.

Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey fought for 108 yards in week three, the second 100-yard rusher New Orleans has surrendered this season. However, the Saints bottled up Tampa Bay’s Leonard Fournette and Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook, holding them to a combined 141 rushing yards and just 3.2 per carry.

Atlanta pushed around the Saints defensive front in week one, but that unit has since fortified itself. Defensive tackles David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, and Kentavius Street are getting good push and clogging inside rushing lanes. Especially Tuttle, who might be playing the best ball of his four-year career.

Defensive ends Cam Jordan and Marcus Davenport are terrific run defenders in addition to being disruptive pass rushers. Jordan leads the team with six tackles for loss and was instrumental in shutting down Dalvin Cook. Ends Payton Turner and Tanoh Kpassagnon are off to slow starts, but were in on a few key run stops against Minnesota.

New Orleans has a spectacular duo of linebackers that are playmakers all over the field. Davis, one of the league’s best all-around defenders, is coming off his best game with six key tackles against the Vikings. He has 25 total tackles this season and has led the Saints in all of his four previous years with them with an average of over 111 stops per year.

Oct 25, 2021; New Orleans Saints outside linebacker Demario Davis (56) waits for a snap against the Seattle Seahawks. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Werner is off to a spectacular start to his second season. He leads the team with 40 tackles, including an NFL-high 32 solo stops. Werner has been all over the field and has at least 8 tackles in every outing this year.

Werner and Davis are athletic enough to run a play down in space, but also physical and decisive enough to sift through traffic to the ball. Kaden Elliss is a quality third linebacker for an otherwise thin position.

The Saints defensive backfield remains extremely active as run defenders. Corners Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, and Bradley Roby aren’t shy about flying in to cut down a ball carrier along the edge. Slot defenders Justin Evans and P.J. Williams are capable against the run in the tackle box.

Veteran S Marcus Maye has missed the last two contests with a rib injury, but was one of the team’s most consistent defenders over the first two weeks. Fellow S Tyrann Mathieu has gotten off to a quiet start, but both he and Maye are both excellent tacklers and have the ability to play as an extra linebacker near the line of scrimmage.

Seattle Rushing Attack

23 8 points per game
114.8 rushing yards/game (13th)
5.2 yards per rush (5th)
3 rushing touchdowns
55.3% 3rd Down Percentage (2nd)

Oct 25, 2021; Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny (20) rushes against the New Orleans Saints. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has always preferred a ball control attack. His team has done just that so far this season, currently ranking second in time per drive, first in yards per drive, and second in third down percentage.

After a slow start of just 114 combined rushing yards in their first two games, Seattle has 347 on the ground in their last two contests, including 235 against Detroit last week.

Fifth-year RB Rashaad Penny is finally living up to his first-round status from 2018. Penny was plagued by injuries and ineffectiveness over his first three years, but rushed for 706 yards over the last six games of 2021. So far this season, he’s run for 292 yards and two scores while averaging six yards per carry.

An explosive back with excellent strength, Penny picked up a season-high 151 yards against Detroit. He ran for at least 135 yards in the final three games of 2021 and has carried the rushing load through the early part of this season. Penny's production has helped ease the loss of Chris Carson, who led the Seahawks in rushing for three seasons before being forced to retire with a neck injury.

Carson's retirement forced Seattle to use a second-round choice on RB Kenneth Walker from Michigan State. Walker is a bruising runner with good power who missed most of training camp with injury. He has 58 yards on 15 carries in three games since being activated.

Penny (shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday. If he’s limited, expect Walker to see extensive action, with elusive third-down backs Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas getting more snaps. Both Homer and Dallas are experienced in the system and dangerous in space.

Seattle rebuilt their offensive line this offseason. They're a physical bunch that likes to maul defenses in the trenches. Guards Gabe Jackson, Damien Lewis, and C Austin Blythe fire strongly off the line of scrimmage. Two rookies, LT Charles Cross (1st round) and RT Abraham Lucas (fourth round) set up Seattle's off-tackle zone blocking scheme.

What to Expect

Oct 25, 2021; Seattle Seahawks running back Alex Collins (41) runs against the New Orleans Saints. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY

Seattle had just 90 yards rushing on 28 attempts in last year's 13-10 loss to New Orleans. However, Penny played just 20 of 56 snaps in that game and only one offensive lineman (Jackson) remains from that team.

For the Saints to successfully shut down Seattle's running game again, their defensive tackles need to get penetration off the snap. That will force Penny and Walker to bounce their off-tackle runs more outside. If that happens, expect the athleticism of Davis and Werner and pursuit of the secondary to swarm over the ball carrier.

New Orleans got off to a slow start to the year defensively, but have resembled their expected dominance the last few weeks. For the Saints to break a three-game losing streak, this defense must prevent the Seahawks from establishing any momentum with their running game.