There weren’t too many unknowns about the New Orleans Saints defense going into Week 1. We had a good idea of what the assignments would be for new safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye, and many starters returned at other spots in the lineup. But the biggest change came in the slot, where New Orleans shipped out C.J. Gardner-Johnson two weeks before the season started. Gardner-Johnson had been a three-down defender for the Saints, so the trade left big shoes to fill. And a couple of Saints stepped up.
Pro Football Focus snap-by-snap charting found that Justin Evans got the lion’s share of snaps in the slot. The veteran safety signed with New Orleans after losing a year of his playing career with an injury, but his strong summer led to this well-earned opportunity. Evans led the team with 25 snaps in the slot, dropping back into pass coverage on 15 of those reps. The Falcons tried him four times but he only yielded one 5-yard reception which did not convert a first down. That’s a productive day in the office.
