Brandon Staley is not buying what Troy Aikman was selling on Monday Night Football. A few days after the Atlanta Falcons ran all over the New Orleans Saints, the Saints defensive coordinator pushed back on the broadcaster’s suggestion that he went into the game without a plan.

During the ESPN broadcast of Atlanta’s 45-24 win at the Caesars Superdome, Aikman said Staley “doesn’t have any answers.” According to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, Aikman also implied that Staley had acknowledged as much, or said something to that effect, when the two spoke in production meetings before the game.

“This was a matchup issue coming into this game and it’s proven true,” Aikman said on the broadcast, pointing to a Saints defense that was missing several key pieces.

Staley did not see it that way. “I heard those comments. I have no idea what he was talking about,” he said.

He went further, calling Aikman’s comments “not true” and pointing to how the Saints handled Bijan Robinson a year ago. New Orleans held the Falcons star to 33 and 70 rushing yards in their two meetings last season.

“No one defended that runner last year better than us,” Staley said.

That was not the case on Monday. Robinson ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, including a 59-yard burst early in the game that Staley called a “shock to everybody.” Brian Robinson Jr. added a career-high three rushing touchdowns, and Atlanta piled up 205 rushing yards while setting a franchise record with five scores on the ground.

Article Continues Below

Staley took responsibility as the play-caller and said the defense “never got our rhythm back” after a fourth-down penalty. He also insisted effort was not the issue, pinning the breakdowns on assignments and technique instead.

The Saints were short-handed for the matchup, playing without linebacker Kaden Elliss and edge rushers Carl Granderson and Anfernee Jennings. Aikman argued that without those players, New Orleans lacked someone who could erase mistakes for others.

The loss dropped the Saints to 1-3 in the second year of Kellen Moore’s tenure. Staley’s unit gets a chance to respond on Sunday when New Orleans hosts the Minnesota Vikings, though the debate over what was said in that production meeting may linger a bit longer.