Brandon Staley on Jaxson Dart, Giants offense | New Orleans Saints

Yeah, Jackson got off to a good start in his first game. I thought his legs were a really big factor in them winning that football game and his legs came alive uh on third down and came alive in the red zone and they kind of used him that way in the preseason and in the regular season even before he got the start. So, uh that’s definitely a dimension uh that he had coming out of college. So, uh, made a bunch of plays for them, uh, in last week’s game and, you know, that was a big win for their team. It looked like they were using a lot of tempo, a lot of RP what are those elements to stress out? Oh, they’re just creating more space uh, for him to be able to see. And I think they’re creating space for their playmakers, too, both in the run game and in the pass game. And then he can just play point guard and uh, you know, kind of hit the open guy. You see any similarities with how the Giants are operating to how Spencer. Um, you know, I see, you know, some similarities. I can see how you would think that. Um, you know, I think that, uh, you know, certainly Spencer’s got a full year, you know, of playing under his belt and he started a bunch of games last year. So, um, you know, I think that for any new quarterback in the NFL, uh, there’s that learning curve and you want to make them feel comfortable. you want them to play fast uh and truly be able to, you know, run the show the way that they’ve probably always done it. So, uh you know, I think that that was a a really good game plan that that Brian and Mike and that group from New York uh put in place last week. It gave him a really good chance to be successful. And uh I think they did the same thing in the preseason. I thought he played fast. He was decisive. And I thought you were able to see the playmaking ability uh both with his arms and his legs. And um you know, I know Kell’s doing the same thing with Spencer, you know, and I think that you’ve seen Spencer play that way through four games. He’s been able to, you know, show what he can do. Uh and I think that Spencer’s done a great job of taking care of the football. And uh I think that’s something that Jackson did a good job of last week, too. Yeah. kind of skill set. No, great great point. Uh, no, it’s uh it’s definitely a different rush angle. It’s a different r rush timing. Uh, there’s some of the best rushers outside that that that don’t like it inside and and vice versa. So, um, you know, Carl’s got the skill set where, um, you know, going inside, he’s got the quickness, but he also has the length, um, with his arms that that bothers people. So, I think he’s got quickness and length, uh, that gives him the ability to rush inside. Uh, and then he’s got really good instincts inside. So, um, he’s got the quickness that I think um, favors, you know, an outside guy that goes inside. Uh, and I thought you saw it on that particular rush. What’s your assessment of the tackling so far? I know a lot. Yeah, Mike. I mean, it’s it’s a fundamental that we work more than any other one outside of, you know, the takeaways, too. Those are the two that we probably work the most. Um, our tackling was not good enough in the Buffalo game. Uh, it’s a element that, um, you know, we need to improve going into this game, but I thought we’ve been physical the whole year. Um, so I’ve really liked our physicality um, the whole year. Um, from a tackling perspective, I think our angles and then uh, in this last game I thought we reached for a couple too many um, where running through contact um, is always the better fundamental. Um, so we got to keep stressing it. Um, keep emphasizing it and then um, we get another chance at it this week. Yeah, definitely. You know, I think space is the enemy of tackling. Uh, and I think what bothers offensive players the most is people that do go for it. Um, making sure that you attack your leverage. Um, but when you go for it and you’re decisive, uh, it has a real impact on how they run the ball and, uh, it slows them down. And then if you’ve got the right pursuit, um, then you’re able to get, I think, more takeaway attempts. And so, so I think that’s been a strength of ours is our pursuit of the ball. I think, you know, outside of the bubble screen, which was kind of a a weird deal where he’s down and kind of up. I think none of our misses went a long way. And I think that that’s been a positive for us all year is um if we’ve missed, there’s been a guy there to knock it down. But, uh, I think from a fundamental standpoint, um, we all agree, uh, on defense that we didn’t tackle well enough against Buffalo. I remember it well because my family was still back in California and so I was here and, uh, it was one, it was late at night and I just got done with like a workout kind of later on than normal. Um, and I did him, you know, that one evening when I was really fresh. And, you know, I started by watching his tackling tape. You know, it’s kind of what I usually start with with safeties is tackling. Um, then all their ball production, all their slot cover, uh, and then just watching games. And one thing that really stood out to me about him was that, um, his tackling tape was as good as any safety in the draft. And then the fact that he played special teams. I mean, his his special teams tape was unbelievable. And he would be basically playing like a full game um at Virginia, full defense and then three out of four special teams. Um so I was just like this guy must have great stamina, you know, and um so it was very impressive. And then I felt like in the passing game, you saw the range, uh you saw him doing pros safety jobs. Um and then I think our scouting department did a great job of identifying him and his makeup, uh kind of how he was wired, and then uh Grady Brown went and worked him out. um in Charlottesville and felt very strongly about him as well. And so I think we had great consensus on him as a player. Uh I thought our scouting department did a great job of identifying him as someone early in the process, you know, Jeff Ireland and his staff and um and he’s lived up to that. Uh you kind of just get a list of guys. So I was just kind of going down the list. um you know but uh when I did him I was I was very fresh and you know I just think that um even you know before his first start you know I went back and kind of shared him shared that story with him and I was like here’s the write up that I had on you um and so we you know we want him to be that guy we know that there’s going to be a lot to learn and this process at the beginning he’s going to make some mistakes but um we know he has what it takes and as I’ve told you guys it’s just the experience he just needs to see more play more but last week was a good um a good showcase for his playmaking and now there’s some little things that uh we need to continue to improve. How impressive was that range on that interception? Yeah, that’s a big time NFL play. Uh I think anybody that was at the game uh seeing it live knew that that was a special play um against a special quarterback um because a post break like that, you know, outside the numbers, you know, that’s one of those big time deals that doesn’t happen a lot. and not only to get there but to finish it. Um, you know, it was exciting for all of us. Yeah, it’s both. Yeah, it’s I think it’s a key diagnos position anytime you’re in the middle of the defense. Key diagnosis as important as any trait, linebacker, nickel, safety. Um, so he did have that play recognition and I think you saw Josh trying to look him off. kind of knew that he was trying getting looked off and then you saw that early break and then you know then he just has the athleticism, the speed to get there faster than most and uh what was most important that is that he finished it because there’s a lot of guys that can get there and it’s an incompletion but to finish that play that was a big lift for our team. Well, I was at James Madison in 2014, so I do know uh what school he went to, the Covenant School. Um and and again I think it just shows you that you can get great players from a lot of different places and that’s why you you look um everywhere that you can find and um you know and I think with Yonas the the exciting part is there’s a lot more in his game that he’s going to uh showcase as we go the toughness the physicality um the key diagnos that’s all going to come you know with more experience playing off NFL offenses and getting a feel for the game. just veteran uh getting a day off. I’ll leave that to Kellen and Mickey. He’s a real back. uh forces a lot of missed tackles, is good in the passing game, uh good vision, good balance and body control, and um he’s going for it. So, um he was that way in college. Uh we’ve got a bunch of guys on our staff that coached against him in college. Um very, very productive player. How difficult is it to start? Yeah, I mean we’ve got the the body of work that we have, you know, and then just, you know, studying coming out. Uh we’ve got some guys that were in the SEC that played against them as well. So, um you know, you’re defending him and you’re defending their offense and um they’ve got a lot of good weapons. Darius Sllayton’s a guy that I’ve played against extensively. Um he’s been an outstanding receiver in the league for a long time. Jaylen Hyatt was highly regarded coming out and then they’ve got their runners and the tight ends. It’s a very good tight end group. So, uh, I think, you know, you’re defending, like I said, both of those things. Um, and at least, you know, we have one game, uh, that we can that we can look at and see how they felt like was the best plan for that week. But Brian and Mike do a really good job coaching. And I’m sure, you know, one game into it, you know, a lot like these guys as they they keep getting better as they go. Sure. Yeah. Yeah, I mean it’s both. You’re kind of projecting and then um at the same time you’re making it about you how you want to play versus them. So, uh both of those things are happening at the same time. So, we’re just trying to look at the tape from the whole season, the preseason, uh trying to put all that together and then um you know, do what we do best and um hopefully uh put a good game plan together. Is that just how the game goes or is this Yeah, I mean each one has a different story. They’re kind of like turnovers, but um you know, for us, I think that we’ve uh done a good job of keeping the ball out of the deep part of the field. And then I think that we’ve done a good job of not having any of our missed tackles go for, you know, catch and run. We haven’t given up the big catch and run plays. And, you know, the one on on Sunday against Buffalo, that was a that was a weird sequence where Deario has him and, you know, he kind of is down and then he kind of gets back up and then Yonas doesn’t doesn’t get there because of the timing of it. Um, you know, that was a weird sequence and um, you give Shakur credit. He made a great, you know, run, but um, you know, I think our guys understand the importance of it. Um, I know how much we emphasize it. I think that we’ve done a good job of it. Um, and you know, I think I think we talked about this last week. I think, you know, the the the thing that’s, you know, really going to turn things for us is the playmaking, you know, when we get into those positions. Um, you know, in the deep part of the field is knocking a couple of these down where like Yonas, you make a big play in the deep part of the field, it’s a tip ball, it’s an interception, someone makes a great play with their back to the ball. Um, you know, that’s what we need to kind of, you know, I think get this thing going in in and uh a special direction.

New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley speaks with the media from the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Thursday, October 2, 2025 ahead of Week 5 vs. the New York Giants.
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