The Saints are heading into Sunday with the kind of pressure that makes every snap feel bigger than it should. After Gayle Benson’s comments about the franchise, the heat has already been on for two straight games, and now Week 9 brings another test with the Browns coming to New Orleans.
That’s the backdrop for a game that could carry real consequences beyond the final score. The Saints still haven’t won at home this season, and another loss would only deepen the frustration around how they’ve played in New Orleans. With the trade deadline looming, a bad result could also push more changes onto the table for both the coaching staff and the roster.
Kellen Moore is the first name that jumps out.
If there’s one person carrying the most pressure, it’s the head coach. Moore’s job is to get the offense moving, and that’s where the disappointment has been hardest to ignore.
The defense has its issues, but nobody expected that side of the ball to be the team’s strength entering the year. The offense, though, was supposed to be Moore’s calling card.
Instead, the run game has not looked like it should, and some of his decisions have raised eyebrows.
If Travis Etienne does return, the Saints will need the ground game to show something, especially after the team fired Run Game Coordinator T.J. Paganetti.
Justin Reid is another name to watch.
Among the players on the roster, Reid stands out as the most likely trade candidate. His name has already come up in rumors, and a playoff team could view him as a useful veteran option at the deadline.
Sunday matters for him, too, because he’d need to stand out if the Saints are going to seriously consider him as part of their longer-term plans. Even then, that might not be enough to keep him in New Orleans.
How the Saints view their safety group could shape that decision, and they may also try some things against the Browns as they sort through what comes next.
In Other News...
Saints Run Defense Has A Problem They Cant Ignore Inside
Bo Davis has a clear standard in mind for his defensive tackles, and it is the kind of benchmark that tells you exactly where the Saints want their run defense to live. The New Orleans defensive line coach wants that group holding opponents to 3.2 yards per carry, a level that would sit at the top of the league, but the reality has been far different so far. New Orleans is giving up 4.8 yards per carry, a number that leaves the defense near the bottom of the NFL and has put the interior of the line under a brighter spotlight.
Injuries and uneven play from key tackles have fed into the problem, and it is one the Saints cannot simply hope away as the season moves on. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley and players have both acknowledged the need for better play and more competition at the position, which makes the coming weeks important for a unit that has to tighten up inside if the defense is going to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Put James Pearce Jr. In A Role Fans Have Wanted
The Saints latest staff shakeup came before Week 9, when they moved on from run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti in a decision head coach Kellen Moore said was meant to improve workflow. It was the kind of midseason adjustment that usually says as much about the operation behind the scenes as it does about the play on the field, and guard David Edwards acknowledged the offensive line had a role in how the change came about.
For a team still trying to settle into the right rhythm, the move adds another layer of pressure on an offense that has already had to sort through its share of issues. New Orleans now has to see whether the change can sharpen the ground game and clean up the details up front, because the margin for error keeps shrinking as the season moves deeper into November. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Face A Cesar Ruiz Decision That Could Reshape Their Line
Cesar Ruiz has become one of the more interesting names on the Saints roster as the team weighs whether to keep its interior line intact or use his value to address other needs. Any move involving Ruiz would ripple beyond New Orleans, because he has been a steady piece up front and the Saints would have to sort out the right side of the line without much margin for error.
New England has emerged as a possible fit, with the Patriots dealing with injuries and searching for help at guard as they try to keep their offense on schedule and their quarterback protected. For the Saints, the decision is just as much about what comes next as what they might get back, since moving Ruiz would open the door for Jeremiah Wright to be tested in a more prominent role. [Read more 🡒]