The New Orleans Saints spent a considerable amount of time and effort trying to fix coverage issues in the secondary.
New Orleans shifted its philosophy schematically in the offseason, overhauled the personnel at the cornerback position, and eventually fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, turning to Dennis Allen to pull the defense out of the cellar.
But the Saints still find themselves on pace to shatter the NFL record for passer rating allowed after a 331-yard, five-touchdown performance from Cam Newton in Sunday’s 41-38 loss to Carolina. Despite putting pressure on Newton and forcing turnovers in the first half, the Saints headed the other way in the second half, giving up 224 passing yards to Newton as receivers ran free deep down the field.