The New Orleans Saints will be tasked with defending two-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins when they face the Houston Texans on Monday night. Though one can expect standout young corner Marshon Lattimore to spend much of the night traveling with Hopkins, communication will be a key for the Saints in attempting to slow him down.
Saints starting safety Vonn Bell calls communication “a premium” when facing the likes of Hopkins, per Nola.com's Amie Just. He explains:
“We don’t want to give up no explosive plays and we always shoot ourselves in the foot if we’re not communicating pre-snap. So, pre-snap communication and post-snap communication is working our eyes, working our signals with each other because we know it’s going to loud in the Dome. Everything else will take care of itself.”
If the Saints can communicate properly and do their jobs, Bell's fellow starting safety mate Marcus Williams believes they'll shut him down, as he says, per Just:
“As far as us, if we just do our job and we lock into the cues, then we’ll shut it down.”
Defending Hopkins will be a big test for the Saints pass defense — it'll prepare them to face Mike Evans and Julio Jones, whom they both play twice a year. However, if they key on just Hopkins, they may see Kenny Stills and Will Fuller scorch their defense — meaning, one thing is for sure; they have to be at the top of their games against Houston on Monday, communicating and all.
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