Last season, the New Orleans Saints fielded a top-10 defensive unit for the third consecutive season — this time ranking ninth overall and fifth in yards allowed. And that was with Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen handling dual duties.
But now, the Saints are turning to Joe Woods to continue their string of defensive dominance, and he comes equipped with three decades of experience and two Super Bowl runs.
Joe Woods’ Journey Includes Leading Super Bowl-Winning DB Group
Woods’ journey began in 1992 at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. For 11 years, he had college stops ranging from Eastern Michigan all the way to Western Michigan.
Along the way, Woods was around Super Bowl winners and won a title himself once he took the NFL leap.
He was in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers room that featured future world champion Mike Tomlin and was mentored by Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.
Then, from 2006 to 2013, he coached the defensive backs for the Minnesota Vikings. His tenure featured an NFC title game run in the 2009 season that ended at the hands of the Saints. But with his expertise in DB play, the Vikings went on to rank in the top 10 in four of his first five seasons.
Then, Woods trekked out west for one season with the Oakland Raiders in 2014 — the second-to-last season of Charles Woodson’s illustrious career that saw him record four interceptions and 100+ tackles.
The following year, Woods stayed in the AFC West but headed toward the mountains, coaching the Denver Broncos’ DBs and creating a unit that broke up 56 passes, snatched 11 interceptions, forced nine fumbles, and returned four defensive touchdowns.
That unit featured Pro Bowlers Chris Harris, Aqib Talib, Darian Stewart, and T.J. Ward, leading to a No. 1 ranked season vs. the pass.
Of course, that Broncos team is remembered for winning Super Bowl 50, which Woods was an integral part of through his coaching in the DB room. Following that run, he earned his first defensive coordinator gig with the Broncos from 2017 to 2018.
He ended up having one more run at the Super Bowl but this time with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019. While coaching up the likes of Richard Sherman, Emmanuel Moseley, and Jimmie Ward, the Niners went on to win the NFC title.
Woods’ last NFL stop was with the Cleveland Browns, where he spent his most years as a DC. However, the Browns fired him following the 2022 season on Jan. 9. His last Browns defense ranked 20th overall.
What Are the Saints Expecting From Woods’ Style of Defense?
There may likely be Saints fans out there who will grow concerned that their team’s string of top-10 outputs is in jeopardy with a recently fired defensive coordinator.
However, Woods has proven to produce Super Bowl-winning results and has turned little-known defenders into Pro Bowlers. Therefore, his 2022 season could be a small roadblock.
Although, the Broncos championship defense he was a part of operated mostly as a 3-4 scheme. Is that scheme returning inside the Superdome?
Woods and the Saints are aiming to keep their 4-3 look this season, especially with head coach Dennis Allen being an even-front coach. Will this mean Woods is simply going off of what Allen calls?
A lot is still to be determined about what Woods will help install, but he said via the Saints’ website that he’s big on forcing takeaways and defenders using their eyes to their advantage.
He already has a tone-setter to work with in All-Pro DL Cameron Jordan on the edge. But the Saints got younger and more tenacious inside with the drafting of Bryan Bresee in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Woods even gets to coach two men who helped deny him a second Super Bowl ring: Perennial Pro Bowl safety Tyrann Mathieu and fellow safety Daniel Sorensen, who were on the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore also gets his chance to raise his game to another level through Woods.
Woods gets a prime opportunity to continue the Saints’ rare streak of producing top-10 defenses and, in the process, redeem himself for the 20th ranking his defense produced last season.
