Week 13 Post-game AMA: Back to the drawing board
After such a great game against Cleveland and the Rams difficulties stopping the run why wasn’t Taysom used more early on?
(Hope his injury isn’t as bad as it looked)
Good question. I'll give you my best take.
The Saints first 2 drives were basically all scripted. It's very common to script your first 15 plays (I usually do 10 b/c I am bad about sticking to the script). The reason for this is you can come out and frontload some different formations and personnel looks and get an idea of the defense's gameplan. If you noticed, on the fist drive the Saints flexed Taysom out, had him at QB on a read option play, put him as the #3 on bunch--having him in more of a receiver role + the QB play.
On the second drive, they went to the traditional fullback stuff (I think 3 plays in a row, leading him on ISO, then toss, then back to ISO). They also flexed him out on a 3rd down or two and had him run the wheel from F (a wing alignment) on that play-action toss.
The plays are really secondary to the point of the script. What you're doing is getting a look at 1) how does the defense respond personnel-wise when Taysom is in the huddle, 2) how do they align and structure depending on which position he's at (TE, WR, F, FB, QB). Based on early returns, the sentiment was probably that there would be more opportunities for not just Taysom, but the other weapons, by utilizing him more in the passing game. They tested the run with him a couple times and the Rams were definitely fitting aggressively. Not saying that was a reason to get away from it early, but the thinking was probably along the lines of efficiency and opportunities.
As a play-caller, you always look first for what the defense gives you before forcing an issue--even if that issue is a strength of your offense. So if the defense is trying to take away Taysom in run game, but they're giving you something else,
you take that something else and save that particular strength for situationals.
Logically speaking. Again, I'm not outright endorsing b/c I wasn't in the booth or on the sideline and am not privy to those conversations.