Saints #1 Ranked Offense - What's Your Take? (1 Viewer)

kfran

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Most folks here already know that the Saints have the #1 ranked offense in the NFL right now.

Yet, when I look at the disparity between our rushing yards vs. our passing yards, I'm try to understand why there is not more balance.

We've got a Stud in Duece who's proven he can take it inside or outside, and Reggie is finally starting to get it... So why is our passing O three times as effective as our running game?

Our passing game is ranked #1, while our running game is ranked 28th. Combined, we still have the top ranked O in the league.

Rush Yds/Gm 94.9 (28th)
Pass Yds/Gm 307.5 (1st)
Total Yds/Gm 402.5 (1st)

Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. Just trying figure out why?

~ Is it because.... Teams are giving us 8 man fronts to stop our running game, and we're simply taking what they give us and countering with our passing game?

~ Is it because... Our O line is simply better at pass blocking then they are at run blocking?

~ Is it because... Our passing game is just so prolific with Drew and Company that Sean will continue to challenge defenses until they can stop it?

I could probably list a few more scenarios... But I'm sure you get the gist of what I'm asking.

What's your take?

I just know that, especially at this point in the season, you want to be more balanced on offense (Time of Possession), and I know our coaching staff is aware of that, as well.

Once again, what's your take?
 
Reminds me of the Arizona Cardinals offense last season but we actually use those yards to score TD's instead of 50 yard Neil Rackers FG's.
 
I believe it is your 1st reason: Team loading up to stop the run and Payton is taking what the D is allowing.
 
KFran,

I think it's a combination of the reasons that you've listed, in addition to allowing Deuce to get healthier for the final stretch. He looked good against ATL, and I truly believe that the coaching staff now understands that his 20 carries will create balance for each game. I think Bush is still going to be used in the same ways that he has been, but he will probably receive less snaps out of the backfield. Just a guess.

However, I also think it's a little bit of "you go with what works", which eludes to your first reason listed. Teams have been keying in on Deuce and Bush, which has contributed to the high flying passing game.

Part of me feels that we'll see more balance in these next 5 games, but against SF, I also see another 300+ day for Brees.
 
There is a lot going on here actually. It isn´t as bad as it looks on paper. When the season started, all the other teams looked at the Saints and thought: "Okay, weak quarterback coming off of injury and only one aging wide receiver, but Reggie Bush and Deuce in the backfield. Stop the run, stop the Saints."

What happened? Reggie was ineffective in the direct rushing assault and Deuce was getting his carries cut in half, so that Bush could get his chances. Brees lived up to the challenge to beat´em in the air and Colston has proven he is the OROY.

Payton has been feeling out his offense since the beginning of the season and had gotten unbalanced, but he also learns from his mistakes. Our passing game will continue to be strong, but now we are known as a passing team. The pendulum will shift to pass defense and Bush and Deuce will slice through the teams on the ground.

Going into the playoffs, should we make it, we will be multidemensional. Hard to plan against.
 
There is a lot going on here actually. It isn´t as bad as it looks on paper. When the season started, all the other teams looked at the Saints and thought: "Okay, weak quarterback coming off of injury and only one aging wide receiver, but Reggie Bush and Deuce in the backfield. Stop the run, stop the Saints."

What happened? Reggie was ineffective in the direct rushing assault and Deuce was getting his carries cut in half, so that Bush could get his chances. Brees lived up to the challenge to beat´em in the air and Colston has proven he is the OROY.

Payton has been feeling out his offense since the beginning of the season and had gotten unbalanced, but he also learns from his mistakes. Our passing game will continue to be strong, but now we are known as a passing team. The pendulum will shift to pass defense and Bush and Deuce will slice through the teams on the ground.

Going into the playoffs, should we make it, we will be multidemensional. Hard to plan against.


Very solid post.
 
Clearly this is a "pick your poison" offense, and most teams are concentrating on stopping the run, forcing us to beat them with the passing game.

And, for the most part, we're obliging them with exactly that.
 
To me, the 'balanced attack' is an over rated term. IMO, this teams' dink and dunk pass attack is more productive than a 'balanced' attack. We run enough and if the o-line was a better run blocking unit then we would run more and gain more yards. We are 9th in the NFL with TOP and only just barley over 2 minutes out of firt place in that catagory.
We are also the 6th best scoring offense in the league, so this offense is working and to by into an old cliche about running the football is a mistake. This team is a passing team, not a running team. We are not a very good running team.

Also, we are currently ranked 28th in the NFL with 3.5 ypa and 18th in the NFL with apg. That is not a bad total of attempts considering what our average is per attempt.
 
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There is a lot going on here actually. It isn´t as bad as it looks on paper. When the season started, all the other teams looked at the Saints and thought: "Okay, weak quarterback coming off of injury and only one aging wide receiver, but Reggie Bush and Deuce in the backfield. Stop the run, stop the Saints."

What happened? Reggie was ineffective in the direct rushing assault and Deuce was getting his carries cut in half, so that Bush could get his chances. Brees lived up to the challenge to beat´em in the air and Colston has proven he is the OROY.

Payton has been feeling out his offense since the beginning of the season and had gotten unbalanced, but he also learns from his mistakes. Our passing game will continue to be strong, but now we are known as a passing team. The pendulum will shift to pass defense and Bush and Deuce will slice through the teams on the ground.

Going into the playoffs, should we make it, we will be multidemensional. Hard to plan against.




I believe your post is very true and has a lot to do with the inablility to run the ball but you must also realize that Deuce is not 100%. I'm sure some people are going to disagree with that statement but I am probably Deuce's biggest fan and his knee is clearly not fully ready to go. Most doctors that treat that injury claim he will not be 100% until he can have the knee drained of fluids after the season is over. Reggie had a problem hitting the holes up until the last 2 games. Lately he has done a much better job but he will not be taking the full carrying load this season.
 
Payton is just doing what works. right now our passing game is much further along than our running game. some of you also forget this is a new offense, and the running game can take sometime gel. i think our offense is getting better every week. as attributed to our climb to the top of the offensive standings. whats got to be even scarier to teams is that we still haven't played a near perfect game on offense.

Brees has made a seamless transition from San Diego and is an extension of Payton on the field. he really understands what Payton is trying to do out there. that makes a world of difference. you hear Brees in comments and they almost mirror what Payton says. these guys are a match made in heaven. i don't think we've seen that here in maybe forever.

the emergence of guys like Devery and Copper have only added to the arsenal. this will also loosen up the run fronts we are seeing. i look for Deuce and Reggie combined to average about 110-140 yards a game on the ground down the stretch. but also don't anticipate Brees numbers dropping to much. just because we have 2stud backs we cannot forget that the singular reason the Saints are as good as they are now is, DREW BREES. as he goes this team will go.
 
We can relentlessly pound Deuce up the middle, causing his knee to swell, causing him to miss practice, causing everyone to worry about whether he's going to play each week or not.

Or we can ease him back from knee surgery, allow Bush to get acclimated to the game, and lead the NFC South and be the #2 seed in the NFC at 7-4 with a passing attack.

I'm not sure what we have to be second guessing?
 
I think with a high percentage passer like Brees the short passing game is like the running game used to be. Brees has a very healthy YPA, is pretty good at avoiding turnovers (two games aside) and has receivers that hold on to the ball. It's effective. It works. So we are sticking with it. There really is no reason to pound the ball just to pound it. Also, as Parcells noted, sometimes Payton "gets the fever." I like what we did in Atlanta and I'd limit Bush's touches in the run game in favor of Deuce getting 15-20 carries from here on out. But I'd also work Reggie more into the passing game. What a nightmare for opposing teams: Bush, Colston, Horn, and Henderson out on patterns with Brees throwing the ball. Talk about picking your poison...
 
The o-line can't run block plain and simple.
The o-line is doing a solid job at run blocking and a fantastic job at pass blocking. "can't run block" is fairly far off base - according to the holes that the line produces.
 

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