Brandon Staley on Ben Johnson’s offense, Caleb Williams | New Orleans Saints

Brandon Staley on Ben Johnson’s offense, Caleb Williams | New Orleans Saints

a little trend around the NFL with blitz percentages ticking up in red zone situations where defenses are blitzing a little bit more than their standard in the red zone. What’s the advantage of blitzing in the red zone if you have uh the ball? My guess is there’s a big concern about quarterback’s mobility and that’s a good way to make sure that uh you know that doesn’t beat you. right now. I know the personnel is different, but what are the characteristics of like a Ben Johnson offense when you’re when you’re studying that and trying to figure out how to, you know, attack it? I think rhythm, you know, they try to establish rhythm in the run game and in the passing game. They do a good job of marrying the run game to the pass game. um they have an elite screen game and um you know I think it’s it’s an offense that really features the whole group of skilled players. Uh so makes you know everybody available you know to uh to to defend. So uh I think he’s featured the quarterbacks. Uh but I also think he’s featured the O line. Uh their O line in Chicago is different than it was in Detroit and vice versa. Uh their skilled group. So, um, you know, he’s got a new quarterback that’s that’s young where when he was with Jared, you know, Jared’s a very experienced player. So, I think he’s doing a good job of featuring Caleb’s strengths. Uh, and I think that they’ve improved um, every game throughout the season. What do you think you guys had a couple What do you think you guys had a couple breaks in the back end? And when that happens, like what is the process like coming back, playing it up, fixing it, and like how do you how do you guys approach it? Yeah, I mean, um, you know, I think the big thing, you know, we’re trying to emphasize making the routine plays, you know, routinely. Uh, and I think, um, you know, we fell short of that on that first drive, both, you know, on the first third down and then the play after. Uh, and I think afterwards, it’s just resetting and showing them guys, hey, you know, this is just a routine play, plays that you guys have made consistently. Uh, and I think that was able to reset us, uh, and allow us to play, you know, much better moving forward. Uh and so, you know, I think on that second drive, you know, the third down penalty again, you know, we need to avoid those. That’s been a theme uh that I think has disrupted our rhythm uh as a defense because I think we’ve been playing at a high level. Um but I think if we can make those routine plays early in the game, uh and then avoid the third down fouls, then I think that uh we’ll start much better. Is it pretty unique for you rotating in linebackers? uh the the way Danny Stzman and Isaiah Stalver got those snaps and and what does that speak to you guys trying to be like how can we develop these guys in a position that traditionally isn’t a rotational position? Yeah, I think uh big thing is just trying to feature our personnel. Uh I think in Isaiah’s case, it’s trying to get a guy uh that we feel like has some third down value uh some loose play value uh because of his speed. Uh, and I think in Danny’s case, it’s more we’re trying to develop a young player and we don’t want his first snap to be when it really matters. Uh, so I think that when you have rookies, young players, uh, if you can get them some game action, it really benefits them in the long term. Uh, so, you know, they practice and they’re practicing and they’re practicing, but there’s nothing like being out there, even if it’s for a short time. So, uh, I think we’re mindful of that. Uh, and it’s a long season as you guys know, and all you got to do is look at the injury reports across the NFL. uh their time is coming. It’s just a matter of when. And so we’re just trying to make sure that they’re ready. Um you know, and I think the other thing is they’ve earned it too. You know, these young guys, we’re not just putting them out there. They’ve earned it on the practice field. And uh we think there’s a benefit for it, you know, in the long term. How beneficial is this like six reps for a player that hasn’t gotten very many before? I think he only had four in that game. Yeah, I think huge confidence. Uh you know, I don’t I think if you asked him, he would probably say huge confidence. uh just being out there in the fire of game action uh being able to see it live, taking all your practice preparation and then making that a game reality. Uh even if it is for a short sequence of plays, uh and I think that in Danny’s case, you know, he made two tackles when he was in there. So, hey, not only did I um get some playing time, but then I I made some plays while I was in there. And so, I think that’s huge for this week taking the practice field knowing, hey, I can do this. Uh and so, um we think there’s benefit to that. and you know guys like that need to continue to to improve as the season goes on and um we feel like that’s a good way to do it. Were there any qualifying factors for being able to kind of designate this is the time to get Danny out on the field? Yeah, that’s a great point too. Um you know, we really wanted to shoot for early in the game. So like designate, hey, like the third series you’re going in so that he isn’t just ambushed about, hey, you’re in. So, uh, and and the same thing for Pete, like where Pete kind of knows like, hey, you know, we’re going to get Danny a rack here. And, um, and then do the same thing in the second half where it’s kind of predetermined. Um, they do it a lot in basketball. Um, and you know, I think that, uh, that’s what we were after is just to create some certainty so that they both of them play well. Um, and that we don’t disrupt uh, rhythm and flow. Do you have to I mean, it’s obviously not a normal thing for Pete to come off the field. Do you have to kind of have those conversations and just, you know, make sure everyone’s on the same page? Like, how does that go? Yeah, I mean, Pete was a young linebacker once too, you know, trying to make it and, you know, Pete Warner is our starter. Uh, but, you know, he’s got to come off the field sometimes when we play dime and and other packages, uh, you know, Penny and and and stuff like that. So, um, again, it’s, uh, it’s just being a pro and we’re just trying to get our best guys out there and we’re also trying to develop, you know, these guys for the long term. What stands out to you about sort of the growth of Caleb Williams now in his in his next year under Johnson? Yeah, I just think confidence uh confidence uh timing, you know, play making uh it just increases the more you see it. Uh so I think you know his first game uh this year with with Ben to to last week against Washington, you can see a process of them getting to know each other and uh them trying to feature you know Caleb’s game. Uh and then you know I mean he started a full season last year too. So you’re seeing the benefit of experience, too. So, um, you know, he’s a very talented player. He’s made a bunch of big plays for them this year. Uh, and he’s a big factor why they’re, you know, four and two. How do you think Chase Young has looked at his return? Yeah, I thought Katherine, I thought he got off to a good start in the game. I thought it, you know, there’s going to be six weeks worth of, um, rhythm disrupted for sure. Uh, so I think he got his legs underneath him as the game went. I thought he got into a good pass rush rhythm and had some quality pass rushes in the game. Um, you know, I think we’re just right there to finishing a couple of them and making them big plays, but that’s natural. Uh, so, you know, he’s been good on the practice field most importantly being able to, you know, practice fully and stuff like that. So, uh, I think you definitely, you know, saw his presence, felt his presence in the game and and it’s going to be, you know, a big, uh, impactful, uh, presence for us moving forward. If you guys can just like almost assume he’s get double teams and chips and everything like he was getting last week, does that allow you to free stuff up for other guys? Get get them one-on- ones and Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think, you know, the the other guys are going to benefit big. You know, last week that protection system was uh very secure. Um they’re going to keep a bunch of guys in. Uh that’s a hallmark of Josh and how they play. Um so it was going to be hard on everybody last week. Um, I think we had our opportunities, but just in general, I mean, there’s going to be a lot of attention devoted to the rush. Um, even if you add extra rushers. So, um, but I think a guy like Chase is going to open up more for Brian, Carl, Cam, Shep, you know, that group of guys. Um, because he’s a feature player, you know, and, um, so, you know, I think that that’s what we’re trying to do is is is activate as many quality guys as possible so that, you know, they can’t double two people. you know, we try to do is get, you know, hey, there may be a double somewhere, but hey, three other guys are singled and hopefully, you know, we’re able to knock a few of those down. You were talking earlier about some of the things that maybe didn’t go the way that you planned in coverage last week, but the week before that, five takeaways, consecutive drives. How what’s the process of making sure that no one’s being overly reactionary inside of the building one way or another when you have two weeks like that? Yeah, Ross, I think it’s just staying uh committed to the silent tape and and and really focusing on what the tape is telling you. And um you know, I think in the case of the beginning of the New England game, you know, the first two snaps, you know, we felt like we’re were really good snaps, put us in a prime position. And then, you know, we just we miss a coverage pickup where we got 10 other guys doing the right thing. Um and then, you know, the next play, hey, there’s a consequence to being shallow in the post as a as a young player. And so just showing them that, hey, these are routine plays that we can make, guys. You’ve made them. Um and then I think when we reset after that, uh we got into a much better rhythm as a team. And um as I said, hopefully um as we continue to play more together, um you know, some of those rough p, you know, those valleys, some of those, you know, plateaus, um you know, we can smooth them out. And and I think our guys are seeing that. just hey, you focus on your assignment, play the right technique, and then trust, you know, your 10 uh your 10 partners to do their part, and then this scheme will work for you. And all of a sudden, those plays that you’re trying to make, they will come to you instead of you trying to force some things to happen. How do you assess kind of the contested catch situations where I think there was two or three where it seemed like really good coverage, but the ball somehow got in there anyway? Like, do you kind of have to take the good out of that? And absolutely, 100%. Yeah, have to. Um those are the ones as a coach that’s hey keep it moving. Hey I designed the play for a great jump shooter and he didn’t knock it down but it was a clean look right um you’re going to be able to live with that you know and I think that you know Kool-Aid’s you know uh case and even you know a couple you know Quincy and some of these guys you know um they’re putting themselves in really good position which is the hardest thing to do is to put yourself in position to make the plays. Um and then now finishing those plays that comes with uh confidence, right? And and it comes with um a little bit of preparation, a little bit more preparation and technique work on the field. Uh but being there in those tightly contested situations, you know, we’re going to take our guy more often than not. And those guys in the, you know, as the season goes on, they’re going to knock those down for us and those are going to turn into big plays for our defense. And so, um, especially when they’re at the beginning, you know, that’s when you got to stay with them and and coach them through some of those and keep it moving. Um, because I think as a coach, you can live with those. You know, I, you know, those bang bang plays, that’s part about playing defense in the NFL and, uh, you know, and they’re going to make a lot more of them as we get going. Do you also find you find that you have to kind of coach to keep folks from maybe coming out too high on the biggest moments? Like there’s avoiding the valleys, but is there something about being high off the beat? Yeah, 100%. I mean, I think in that in that Giants game, um, specifically, um, there were some plays that turned out our way that we didn’t execute exactly right, you know, and so you’re you’re teaching the truth both ways. Um, and then there’s some plays that maybe didn’t go how we wanted them to that we felt like we played pretty well, like those contested catch situations, you know, you know, that third nine at the end of the game, you know, Kool-Aid’s all over them and man, we executed our play perfectly. you know, they made a good throw and catch, a perfect throw and catch to beat a really good play call that was executed at a high level. So, um you know, those are the ones that you don’t love to lose, you know, and and um you know, we all left that field um crushed about it, but I think there’s a lot of positives moving forward um that our guys are right there in the fight, you know, and against some, you know, real quality uh on the other side. So, we just got to stay together, stay the course, um and good things will come. All right, guys. Take care. See you guys.

New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley speaks with the media from the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Thursday, October 16, 2025 ahead of Week 7 at the Chicago Bears.
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