METAIRIE, La. (BRPROUD) — Running quarterbacks are a problem for the Saints defense this season. They’ve allowed 199 total rushing yards to the four main run-threat quarterbacks they’ve faced so far:
- Week 3 – Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love: 9 carries, 39 yards, 1 TD (team’s leading rusher in game)
- Week 4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield: 8 carries, 31 yards
- Week 7 – Jacksonville Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence: 8 carries, 59 yards (team’s leading rusher in game)
- Week 9 – Chicago Bears, Tyson Bagent: 8 carries, 70 yards
It’s an area the Saints have to fix rapidly, because they’re going to face one of the league’s best quarterbacks with a run ability Sunday in the Vikings’ Josh Dobbs, who has rushed for the second most yards of any quarterback this season only behind Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson.
New Orleans says the solution just boils down to rush lane integrity.
“It’s been it’s been a problem, you know, and we have to be better at it,” said Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints head coach. “We’ve got to do a better job with our lane integrity and keeping quarterbacks in the pocket and still being able to get pressure on them and make them have to split the ball.”
“l mean we just got to be detailed on our rush lanes and just detailed in our drops and on coverage and things like that,” said Marcus Maye, Saints safety. “If we take things way down the field, the quarterbacks are going to try to extend plays to their legs. So, we just got to find different ways to get them down.”
Sunday will only be Dobbs’ second game with the Vikings after beginning the season as the starter for the Arizona Cardinals, before being traded once Minnesota lost quarterback Kirk Cousins to an Achilles injury. Sunday will also be Dobbs’ first start with Minnesota.
