Alvin Kamara is a better back going North/South than East/West (2 Viewers)

[Trey W.]

As stated already, TB has one of the fastest LB groups in the NFL. White, David, Barrett, & JPP can all fly around and showed it in the game. This is something Payton will have to game plan against next game for sure. May have to use a more spread formation to get them out of the box and then run AK & Murray on some traps and pulls instead of the heavy 3 TE which keeps TB in their strongest defensive formation.

 

[Randy Jones]

The Saints run stretch zone run offense. Kamara is suited to this scheme because he sees the cutback lanes and has the quickness to hit those holes before they close. When you run a stretch run game it may look like at first the back is running to the sidelines. Regarding the long ball, We have never been an air it out pass attack. We have always been a controlled passing attack with Brees. Since his college days Brees never had a strong arm and the Saints don't go downfield a lot except in an opportunistic manner

 

[TribuneUK]

The Saints run stretch zone run offense. Kamara is suited to this scheme because he sees the cutback lanes and has the quickness to hit those holes before they close. When you run a stretch run game it may look like at first the back is running to the sidelines. Regarding the long ball, We have never been an air it out pass attack. We have always been a controlled passing attack with Brees. Since his college days Brees never had a strong arm and the Saints don't go downfield a lot except in an opportunistic manner

Sounds like I stand corrected, I'll have to watch the OT on zone plays to get a better read

 

[Swimmer]

Interesting take, do you have some numbers to illustrate this? I've not seen charting vs men in the box that backs this up.

I do know that for their Saints careers, Kamara (58%) is actually well above the team average (53%) and Ingram's average rushing success (52%) in first downs, which is typically where you don't see nickel defense (broad generalisation but it suits the comparison of their relative performance). NFL average was just 47%.

Anecdotally I've not seen Kamara do better or worse than the typical back versus a stacked box. Hence why I'd like to see the numbers.



Inside zone (which the Saints run predominantly rather than OZ) versus a 3-4 typically matches up really, really well. That's not a play looking to hit the edge.

Of course, generalisation again (by both of us).



I think you've just described almost any zone run, inside or outside. And I've seen a lot more IZ than OZ from the Saints over the past several years.

Again this could be anecdotal, but the numbers I do have show greater rushing success behind the centre (a typical IZ cut back) than any other gap, plus Kamara's greatest number of explosive plays consistently come between the tackles (usually to the offense's right).


Agree with this, very pleased after how hard TB defended the run vs AK and LD's performance throughout.

Fabulous post. Thx so much!

 

[AmerVet]

I would like to see Kamara continue being a heavy redzone threat. Inside the 15 is where I get most excited about Kamara. Without Thomas, Kamara will be used heavy in passing formations. With Murray carrying the heavy load in the run. I think Smth and Harris both have an opportunity to show out this game.

 

[Que Que 6]

Kamara looks great. Nothing above means differently. I want to use kamara as efficiently as possible. Kamara's speed hitting holes going north is our biggest asset imo. Use speed to hit the holes and vision his cuts to adjust in the 2nd level. I just see us going to a different style of running when Murray comes in and i don't think it should be that different of a style going from AK to Murray.

Only person who can go E/W is Harris. No one else.

 

[Boy_of_wonder75]

He has the speed to hit edges when needed and thats great but Payton needs to use Alvin more conventionally and get Alvin to the 2nd level of the defense and let Alvin make his one step cuts at that point. Too much speed in the NFL to be going side to side all the damn time. There should be no run play difference of calling when either AK or Latavius is in the game. If Alvin is too brittle to take the conventional pounding of a RB, then Latavius needs to be the workhorse and then you bring in doses of Kamara post Murray pounding the rock.

As the end zones are to the north/south when playing the game, I think you're right. In fact, ALL running backs are better when headed in the direction of the end zones. All players, in fact. I am coming out as for all players with the ball headed toward the end zone.

 

[Zigg]

How often does he catch the ball going e/w(sometimes backwards), 5 yards in the backfield with two guys in his face? He is not being put in a position to succeed, and that’s on Payton to fix.

 

[krazy9000]

You have to look that the front 7 we played. There aren't many RBs that will look good going e/w against them because of the athletic freaks they have on defense.

 

[letthedeucelose692473]

What back isn’t?

 

[ItFan]

Amen

 

[Deucewildin]

Sorry AK never had a issue finding the hole that’s one of his best traits .

 

[jboss]

What back isn’t?

Reggie

 

[letthedeucelose692473]

Reggie

Good point
But his best work was north south
Barry Sanders maybe the only rb to make a career out of it

 

[Winter]

One thought I had is, whenever we can open this offense up, the better. The Saints have a ton of weapons. What really caught my eye last year was Shanahan's misdirection game-plan against us. He had every key playmaker as active as possible. If we can have a game or two where we really open things up and flex on a team, I think it could make defenses slower to commit on stretch and slow developing plays. To tie it back to the OP, I think more mis-direction can help Kamara get into more open space, -1 defender less scenarios where he has a better shot at making a big play.

You can either either run trick plays rarely, at the most critical situations/surprisingly, or you can try to run them often to make the ordinary play just as unpredictable.