But he added, "I expect us to be, because it'll be hard not to be, right?"
The play,Air Max 97 2018, which occurred during a training camp practice over the weekend, exemplified Vaccaro's description of what it's like to play for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who is trying to shore up a unit that was among the NFL's most porous last season.
"We have total control over how fast we play and how hard we play," Allen said. "There are going to be times where the offense is going to do some things that might dictate some different matchups; they might catch us in a bad situation. But how we get out of those situations is that we have 11 guys hustling to the football.
The Saints expect veteran middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, acquired as a free agent this offseason, to be an ideal fit to lead Allen's defense — not only because of his reputation for grasping defensive concepts and alignments,Buy Air Max 1, but also because he agrees that, for a defense, a psychological edge can be more important than a schematic advantage.
Payton said after Monday's practice that it will take until the first couple of regular-season games to see whether the Saints' defense is meeting goals of being better at communicating, thwarting third-down plays and tightening inside its own 20.
Third-year outside linebacker Kasim Edebali, whose five sacks ranked second on the club last season, explained Allen's approach this way: "The last couple years, I was a young player, so I was very worried about my position and what I've got to do. But coach really preaches that everybody understands what's going on around you, so you really know where you are in the defense and where everybody else is, so you can play smart."
"He always tells us,Adidas Shoes On Sale Clearance, 'The only advantage the defense has is fear. All the rules are skewed for the offense to have success, so if they don't fear you, you're not going to win.' So if you can fly around, you can play fast — with a scheme that everybody knows — you can be successful."
"Half the battle is getting the call,Cheap NFL Shop, getting your alignment ... knowing the call, and playing the defense," Payton said. "That obviously has been an emphasis."
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — The moment Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro saw a gap opening along the offensive line,Nike Roshe Run Online Shop, he raced through it at full speed, slamming into the first offensive player who tried to block him.
"A lot of times, it's more about your mentality as a defensive player and really as a unit than it is about Xs and Os," Laurinaitis said. "Every play that the offense draws up is blocked for a touchdown. Every play that we draw up is supposed to be a tackle for a loss.
He rejoined the Saints as a senior assistant after New Orleans had ranked second-to-last in defense in 2014, then took over as coordinator when Rob Ryan was fired 10 games into last season.
During his first full offseason in his current post, Allen has been simplifying New Orleans' defensive scheme.
Vaccaro knocked fullback Sione Houma off his feet and into ball carrier Tim Hightower, who was forced to change course. His momentum lost, Hightower was soon enveloped by the Saints' converging defense.
"His thing is, it's not about scheme. It's about the 11 players you put on that field and how fast you're playing," Vaccaro said.
Allen, who played safety in college at Texas A&M, articulates a clear vision for how he wants his unit to look on the field.
The Saints are hoping for better results with Allen, who coached the secondary on the Saints' 2009 championship team.
The Saints ranked 31st in yards allowed last season with 413.4 per game, effectively cancelling out much of the production of New Orleans' second-ranked offense.
Now that Allen has simplified the Saints scheme, however, he expects his players to understand their assignments on both individually and holistically.
"This is all about, how can we play as fast as we can, as physically as we can," Laurinaitis added.
"It is really a philosophy and culture of how we are going to play and not as much of what (scheme) we are going to play," Allen added.
Notes: Payton announced after practice that the Saints have signed veteran offensive lineman Tony Hills, who was with the club for part of last season, and assigned a waived-injured designation to rookie Ryker Mathews. ... The Saints have Tuesday off from practice and resume Wednesday.

Technically, Allen is approaching what would be only his second full season as an