When is it time to start worrying about the New Orleans Saints pass rush? They’ve produced just one sack through two games, and they benched last year’s first-round draft pick, defensive end Payton Turner, after he struggled to make an impact in the season-opener. It’s been a pretty miserable situation to watch each week.
Now, with that said, there’s some important context to consider here. Tom Brady and Marcus Mariota have presented very different challenges to the Saints defense, so it’s understandable to see little pressure on them early on. Brady is the best quarterback in the game at reading the defense pre-snap and reacting quickly to get the ball to his receivers. Mariota is one of the better athletes you’ll see at the position around the league, and his coaches maximize that by designing a lot of throws on the run and from different launch points. As hard as Brady makes it to pressure him in the pocket, Mariota is an elusive target in the backfield.
