Saints Secondary Will Have To Stop Colts Without Key Players
The New Orleans Saints found a huge steal in cornerback Damian Swann during the 2015 NFL Draft and he was instantly inserted into the lineup when the season began, even seeing more playing time in the slot position than veteran Kyle Wilson.
The Saints were recently without Swann last Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons after he suffered a concussion against the Philadelphia Eagles just days prior.
It was hopeful that after an extended rest period Swann would be able to heal up and pass the concussion protocol so he could play this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
Sep 27, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess (17) drops a pass in the end zone as New Orleans Saints cornerback Damian Swann (27) defends in the third quarter. The Panthers defeated the Saints 27-22 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Things were looking good as he fully participated in practice on Wednesday but was dropped down to being limited on Thursday and then was officially listed as being out for Sunday’s game.
The Saints will also be without cornerback Keenan Lewis on Sunday who was said by head coach Sean Payton to be still on the mend from sports hernia surgery.
It’s a double blow because while the secondary has been compensating without Lewis, Swann’s absence could definitely be felt against the Colts.
The Colts don’t just have one or two receiving threats but four or five with T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief being the two headliners.
But Indianapolis also has two more receivers in big bodied Andre Johnson and rookie speedster Phillip Dorsett as well as tight end Coby Fleener.
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While quarterback Andrew Luck has been overcoming a shoulder injury, the offense will still likely want to go with the deep ball that has become a staple.
Cornerback Brandon Browner has been playing a bit better and had a good performance against the Falcons but the Colts coaching staff has to be licking their chops a bit after seeing the success some receivers have had on him in a few games especially on deep throws.
It’s a good thing that safety Jarius Byrd seems to be healthy and back to somewhat of his old self since he’ll be on high alert for some of Luck’s bombs.
Jun 9, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receivers from left to right Griff Whalen(17), T.Y. Hilton (13), and Phillip Dorsett (15) wait their turn to run passing routes during minicamp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Between the the Colts four receivers, they have all been averaging at least 12.9 yards a reception and 34.2 yards on the their longest throw from Luck.
Fleener is not the only tight end the secondary will have to contend with with Dwayne Allen also at the disposal of the Colts and has seven receptions for 61 yards and one touchdown.
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While that may not seem like a huge deal, it’s well known that tight ends appear to be the kryptonite for not just the secondary but the Saints defense as a whole up to this point.
Losing both Lewis and Swann at corner, that means that Kyle Wilson and Brian Dixon could see more snaps with Wilson taking at least half the snaps on defense the last two games and fairing a bit better than he did at the beginning of the season.
Thankfully cornerback Delvin Breaux has worked out and become the player the Saints had hoped he’d be and will be paired up against either Hilton or Moncrief.
Aug 22, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Delvin Breaux (10) before a pre-season game against the New England Patriots at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Breaux has played both corner positions, spending most of his time at the left corner position which Moncrief has occupied the past five games and has 30 receptions for 347 yards and four touchdowns, so this will be the most likely matchup.
With all the receiving threats that the Colts have, the Saints secondary will have to show that the performance they had against the Falcons was a glimpse of things to come and not just a fluke……