METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu had a unique way of describing his team's defensive performance against the Carolina Panthers last week.
"I think for us, it's lunchtime," Mathieu said. "We know we're going to have a chance to make a play."
The defense feasted on a diet of turnovers and big plays: three sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble. Mathieu and the defensive backs hope that success continues against the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott in Week 2 (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
"Obviously, it won't happen every week but, you know, when we're feeling it, man, we're executing out a high level," Mathieu said after the team's 47-10 win against the Panthers. "We think that can happen every time we go out there."
The room is a mix of established players, like Mathieu and cornerback Marshon Lattimore, and young, hungry newcomers such as second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry and undrafted rookie free agent Rico Payton. They've been pushing each other all summer with the idea of making the group great.
Nickel cornerback Alontae Taylor, who had all three sacks against the Panthers, said one unique aspect of the room is how willing everyone is to dispense advice.
"We don't have any vets in the room, nowhere on the defense ... where they feel like they're too good to kind of help us. Like understanding that this is a business, right? So if you're making more plays then maybe it's taking plays from me. We don't have anything like that in our room," Taylor said.
Taylor joked about cornerback Will Harris, a six-year veteran, saying Harris overcommunicated with him almost to the point of exasperation. Taylor said he was practically telling the chatty Harris to get away from him in practice.
But by the time they got to Week 1 and played in a loud environment, Taylor believed they operated as if they played together for years. Suddenly he was grateful for the chatter.
"Like, he's overcommunicating and in practice it's kind of annoying but then in a game like [Sunday], first game with him, so getting comfortable with him," Taylor said. "So I won't tell him that anymore. I'm going to tell him, 'Hey talk to me as much as you need to talk to me.'"
Those veterans and defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson must hope the offseason prep got the younger players up to speed, with Lattimore and Mathieu nursing injuries this week.
Lattimore, who has missed 17 games in the past two seasons with injuries -- an ankle injury in Week 10 of last season and a lacerated kidney and broken ribs in 2022 -- is officially listed as questionable after missing all three practices this week. He injured his hamstring against the Panthers.
Mathieu has a heel injury that dates to last year, but was a full participant in Friday's practice.
If Lattimore can't play, then McKinstry will likely get his first career start. Robertson praised McKinstry's football IQ and said he believes he has the instincts and competitive drive to be successful.
"He's got all the tools that you look for in a corner in the NFL ... he don't like to lose ... and he wants to win by any means necessary," Robertson said. "So, he challenges himself every single day because there's some different things coming from college. Some of the things might be the same. You kind of got to transfer the terminology to a certain degree."
McKinstry played 26 snaps against the Panthers: 18 snaps as an outside cornerback and six as a slot cornerback.
"I'm always ready to play. I'm always locked in and ready," McKinstry said Friday. "You never know when your number is called. Could be first play, could be last play. I prepared that way last week and it's the same thing I'm doing for this week."
Last season, the Saints finished 10th in passing yards per game (207.3) and had 18 interceptions, tied with the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants for third in the league.
The 2023 season and this offseason came with challenges, as Lattimore was the subject of trade rumors in the offseason. He was not around the facility until mandatory minicamp, when he said he was moving forward and still felt like he was one of the best corners in the league.
Robertson said he believes the unit can be better this year, challenges and all.
"Given the fact that it's been another year, we've got a year of growth with each and every one of them," Robertson said. "A year more of continuity, cohesiveness ... we should be ready to go and we should be better than we were a year ago."
Mathieu has cautioned the rest of the room not to get too high or low off the results of one game. Week 1 showed how fast injuries can change the group from week to week. But as far as Robertson's concerned, they'll be ready whatever the lineup happens to be.
"They're all different. They're all extremely, extremely talented, and like I said, we just got to play some clean games, be cohesive, do a great job of communication, because I mean, I'll match those guys up against anybody in the league and I feel like I'll be alright," Robertson said. "I'll take these guys anywhere I'd go."