The New Orleans Saints' gaudy sack numbers will be what gets the most attention. That's just what happens when you take down the opposing QB 7 times in one game.
But it was what happened prior to the sacks that truly helped key the 24-6 win over the Giants in Week 15, as Deuce McAllister explained in his postgame breakdown on WWL.
Listen to the full interview with Deuce McAllister in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
"You earn the right to rush that passer," McAllister said. "I mean, that’s what it was and they won on first down, and that’s earning the right to rush the passer, and that’s exactly what they did."
The numbers certainly bear that out, with star running back Saquon Barkley held to just 14 total yards on his nine carries, good for a 1.3 average per attempt. Matt Breida didn't fare much better with 10 yards on his attempts. The only success was found by rookie QB Tommy DeVito on some read plays when he rolled on 36 yards on his four carries.
But in large part what run-stuffing did was set up third and long opportunities. Three of those sacks came on 3rd and 7 or longer, plays that allowed for Zack Baun to get on the field as a pass-rush specialist. He didn't record a sack, but he set the table multiple times, with Tanoh Kpassagnon logging three and Bryan Bresee two of this own. The others were collected by Demario Davis and Carl Granderson.
"It’s just a really nice job by those guys," Deuce said.
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“Just go play. I mean, you’re able to hit 10 different receivers. Guys stepped up. I thought the movement as far as play action definitely helped him. They attacked the middle of the field. They identified where the pressure was coming from and they won the 1-on-1 battles and you gave your guys an opportunity to win, and that’s what they did for you. If I’m gonna fuss about anything it was the one block that Jamaal, he and Alvin one time Alvin’s got to pass it off, I think they called us for intentional grounding on that one and the one for Jamaal, he loses. He’s got to win right there on the edge. But the Saints offensive line didn’t give up a sack and I think that’s impressive and a really, really good job there by Derek Carr, distributing the football to the playmakers and letting those guys work.”
