Saints offense has huge flaw that is easily fixable
The New Orleans Saints offense has seen plenty of inconsistencies this season. Between offensive line mishaps, small mistakes, and lackluster play-calling, it hasn't been particularly smooth for Pete Carmichael Jr.'s offense. The Saints continue to make a play-calling mistake weekly, though. They insist on running the ball on second down following a first-down incompletion. That's […]
The New Orleans Saints offense has seen plenty of inconsistencies this season. Between offensive line mishaps, small mistakes, and lackluster play-calling, it hasn't been particularly smooth for Pete Carmichael Jr.'s offense.
The Saints continue to make a play-calling mistake weekly, though. They insist on running the ball on second down following a first-down incompletion. That's leading to consistent third-and-long situations that the Saints don't need to deal with consistently.
The top offenses in the NFL do not completely abandon the run after a first-down incompletion. but they're towards the middle of the pack. They, at least, incorporate more unpredictability and variety for second down.
Being near the Falcons, Cardinals, and Titans on that graphic is not ideal for New Orleans. Those offenses have had a lot of struggles this season.
Applying more pressure by throwing the ball more often on second-and-long can help them avoid tough third-down situations.
Additionally, they have great options for short-to-intermediate passing plays in Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, and Juwan Johnson (when healthy). Taysom Hill needs to play a more consistent role on second down as well.
This issue is fixable. It's on the coaching staff and Derek Carr to decide the best choice for a play call based on the look they get from the defense.
