New Orleans Saints safety Justin Reid said for the last four games, it has taken two drives for the defense to settle in. But this pattern, he made clear, was “unacceptable.” Each week, the Saints put together a gameplan aimed to get off to a strong start. But in each of the last four games, the defense has allowed consecutive touchdowns to begin the game.

Reid said he sees too many mental mistakes — problems he said fall on the players, not the coaches.

“Once we execute, the product is a lot better,” Reid said, “but we can’t keep starting every game giving up 14 points before the first quarter is over with.”

There’s starting slow and then there’s the Saints defense.

New Orleans is the first team to allow back-to-back touchdowns on their first two defensive possessions in four strai

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