N.O. defense gets three INTs vs. Lions

• By LES EAST
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Sep 14, 2009

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NEW ORLEANS — The most-talked about topic on the Saints’ defense during the offseason and preseason was creating turnovers.

 

In their season-opening 45-27 victory over Detroit on Sunday in the Superdome, they came up with three takeaways, matching their highest total last season, which they accomplished three times.

Safety Darren Sharper, the NFL’s active leader in career interceptions, added numbers 55 and 56 with two picks against rookie Matthew Stafford. Linebacker Scott Shanle also intercepted Stafford.

“We knew with our offense and the way that they put up points that we were going to have a chance,” Sharper said. “We knew that Stafford was going to be forced to throw the football, and that was going to give us a lot of opportunities in the secondary.”

Sharper baited Stafford into the first interception. When the Lions lined up on the New Orleans 20-yard line with Calvin Johnson, their big-play receiver, in the slot, Sharper slid to the outside to give the rookie a false sense of security, then broke to the inside and grabbed the pass intended for Johnson.

In the fourth quarter, Stafford tried to look Sharper off, but Sharper, again correctly anticipating a throw to Johnson, stayed with him and made another pick.

“He’s the ball hawk,” linebacker Scott Fujita said. “He made some huge plays.”

Shanle said people might underestimate the defense’s performance because Detroit scored 27 points, but the Saints allowed just 231 total yards, 198 passing yards, 33 net rushing yards, and 1.7 yards per rush.

One Detroit touchdown came on a 65-yard fumble return and another required just a 13-yard drive after the punt team gave up a 43-yard return to Dennis Northcutt.

One field goal came at the end of a 6-yard drive set up by an 87-yard kickoff return by Aaron Brown, and the other required a 51-yard drive.

The longest scoring drive was a 71-yarder, 64 of which came when Johnson grabbed a short pass and made Malcolm Jenkins and Sharper miss tackles.

“I thought we had to do a little bit better job of tackling,” said linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who had the team’s only sack. “I thought we did a good job, but not a great job.”