2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 2-5
Saints defense
Every snap the Saints defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good+0.08 EPA a play allowed, 27th of 32, and 0.11 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (31st).
- How they playThey blitz on 35% of dropbacks, the 10th-most in the league, and get pressure on 20%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 4.8 a carry, 30th, and runs at left guard gain 5.5 a carry.
- Who hurt themBrock Bowers (LV): 116 yards and +8.6 EPA on 13 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Browns, whose offense ranks 25th in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.08 | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.11 | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | +0.04 | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 49% | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 11% | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Yards per play | 6.0 | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Yards per carry | 4.8 | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 51% | 30th of 32 | 8th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 7.0% | 11th of 32 | 67th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 20% | 19th of 32 | 42nd | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 13% | 25th of 32 | 23rd | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.6% | 19th of 32 | 44th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 57% | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.63 | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.3 | 17th of 32 | 48th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.11 | 31st of 32 | 5th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Saints. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 3 of 7 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 1 against the Lions, 0.14 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average -0.02 a play elsewhere, the 24th-toughest schedule of offenses.
at DETL 30-31+0.00usual +0.14
at BALW 24-17+0.12usual +0.01
vs LVL 27-35+0.14usual +0.01
vs ATLL 24-45+0.42usual -0.17
vs MINL 13-23-0.10usual -0.10
at NYGW 34-27-0.06usual +0.02
vs PITL 10-16+0.12usual -0.05Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is deep left: +1.45 EPA a throw against a league +0.35. The lockdown zone is intermediate middle, +0.03 a throw (league +0.59). Completions against them run 1.6 points over expected, 21st-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.8 yards a carry against them, 30th of 32. The leak is at left guard: 5.5 a carry and +0.47 EPA (league 3.9, -0.08).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 17.110th | 143.616th | +0.1811th-toughest | 19.315th-fewest24.615th-fewest29.913th-fewest |
| Tight ends | 8.928th | 68.427th | +0.4028th-toughest | 10.66th-most13.86th-most17.06th-most |
| Backs, receiving | 5.114th | 37.724th | +0.1622nd-toughest | 25.51st-most27.91st-most30.21st-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 17.216th-fewest17.216th-fewest17.216th-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Bowers | LV | 13 | 116 | 1 | +8.6 |
| Drake London | ATL | 6 | 96 | +6.9 | |
| Jaylen Warren | PIT | 22 | 137 | +6.1 | |
| Bijan Robinson | ATL | 21 | 147 | 2 | +5.8 |
| Brian Robinson | ATL | 15 | 67 | 3 | +5.8 |
| Rashod Bateman | BAL | 9 | 88 | 1 | +5.6 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Third downs go the offense's way: even third-and-7+ converts at 32% (league 27%). They are stingiest in the red zone (-0.14 a play, league +0.03) and weakest in games they trail by 9+ (+0.37, league +0.03).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 197 | +0.07 | +0.01 | +0.06 |
| 2nd down | 150 | +0.13 | +0.01 | +0.12 |
| 3rd down | 86 | +0.02 | -0.04 | +0.06 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 27 | 70% | 61% | +10 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 25 | 56% | 44% | +12 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 34 | 32% | 27% | +6 pts |
| Red zone | 84 | -0.14 | +0.03 | -0.17 |
| Two-minute drill | 54 | +0.01 | +0.00 | +0.01 |
| When they lead | 80 | +0.07 | +0.01 | +0.06 |
| One-score game | 362 | +0.04 | -0.01 | +0.05 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 39 | +0.37 | +0.03 | +0.34 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 35% of dropbacks and average 4.4 rushers; 65% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.05 EPA when they blitz and +0.14 when they do not.
They put 6.6 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 7%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.9 a carry; into eight or more, 3.7.
Offenses throw more than usual against them: 0 points over their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains -0.01 EPA against them on 24% of throws; screens -0.40.
15 defensive penalties for 92 yards, 11 of them first downs, the 2nd-fewest. They miss 10% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 24th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Chase Young leads the pass rush with 14 pressures and 7 sacks on 72% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99Chase YoungDE | 72% | 14 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 1 |
| 96Carl GrandersonDE | 57% | 10 | 5.5 | 7 | 5 | 25 | |
| 91Vernon BroughtonDT | 49% | 4 | 2 | 14 | 1 | ||
| 50Colby WoodenDE | 45% | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 1 |
| 93Nathan ShepherdDE | 38% | 3 | 0.5 | 3 | 12 | ||
| 97Khristian BoydDT | 35% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 1 |
| 92Davon GodchauxDT | 32% | 1 | 13 | ||||
| 98Tyree WilsonDE | 19% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | |
| 52Christen MillerDT | 18% | 5 | |||||
| 33Anfernee JenningsLB | 15% | 1 | 10 | 1 |
Pete Werner plays 78% of the snaps with 53 tackles and 2 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20Pete WernerLB | 78% | 53 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 92.4 | 4 |
| 55Kaden EllissLB | 57% | 29 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 90.3 | 1 | |
| 28Danny StutsmanLB | 53% | 36 | 1 | 12 | 84.5 | 7 | ||
| 94Cameron JordanLB | 41% | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 118.7 | 2 | |
| 58Chris Rumph IILB | 5% | 4 | 1 | 118.7 | 1 | |||
| 40Fadil DiggsLB | 5% | 4 | 1 | 104.2 | ||||
| 53Jaylan FordLB | 1% | 2 | 1 | 108.3 |
Martin Emerson is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 47.5 passer rating on 20 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23Julian BlackmonSAF | 100% | 17 | 10 of 17 | 195 | 3 | 89.8 | 2 | 2 |
| 21Justin ReidS | 93% | 29 | 20 of 29 | 231 | 2 | 108.8 | ||
| 1Kool-Aid McKinstryCB | 92% | 31 | 16 of 31 | 231 | 2 | 85.4 | 6 | |
| 29Quincy RileyCB | 77% | 32 | 20 of 32 | 271 | 4 | 108.6 | 3 | |
| 7Jonas SankerSAF | 69% | 37 | 26 of 37 | 275 | 1 | 93.6 | 1 | |
| 22Martin EmersonCB | 31% | 20 | 11 of 20 | 147 | 47.5 | 2 | 4 | |
| 31Jordan HowdenSAF | 8% | 1 | 0 of 1 | 39.6 | ||||
| 25Decamerion RichardsonCB | 0% | |||||||
| 38Jayden PriceCB | 0% |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.