Kellen Moore already has enough evidence to know Barion Brown belongs in the Saints’ offense - now it’s on him to act on it.
Brown hasn’t been used much on that side of the ball, logging 10 or more offensive snaps in only two games, both of them the last two. But when he has gotten chances, he’s shown exactly why Moore talked about him as more than a return specialist when the New Orleans Saints drafted him.
Last Sunday made the case in a hurry. Brown hauled in a 42-yard bomb and added a 9-yard catch on a bubble screen, giving the Saints a glimpse of both sides of his game: the deep-shot threat that can flip field position in one snap and the quick-hitting touch that can create easy offense for a struggling unit. For a Saints attack that has had a hard time finding answers, that kind of versatility matters.
The bigger picture is just as encouraging. Brown has been the Saints’ most effective rookie, even if that label doesn’t come with a clean, obvious argument. The rookie class as a whole hasn’t delivered much production in the first half of the season, but Brown has still separated himself.
A lot of the noise around him comes from what hasn’t happened yet: he hasn’t taken a kickoff back for a touchdown. That’s kept him from getting the kind of attention that usually follows a dynamic returner. But that standard doesn’t tell the full story, especially with no one in the league having returned a kickoff for a touchdown this year.
Brown has been quietly piling up impact plays anyway. He’s top 10 in kickoff return yards, and his biggest value has come from the field position he keeps handing the Saints in big moments.
His 42-yard kickoff return against the Giants set New Orleans up near midfield at the end of the second quarter, and that led to the first score of the game, a field goal. He later added a 23-yard punt return that helped set up more Saints points.
Against the Ravens, Brown’s longest return was a 53-yarder, again right before halftime. That one pushed the Saints across midfield with just enough time to get into field-goal range.
So through seven games, Brown has already delivered three special-teams moments that mattered. He added another on offense last week. The next step is obvious: get him more snaps, keep feeding him touches, and let the Saints finally cash in on the playmaking they drafted him for.
In Other News...
Saints Fans Have A New Running Back Worth Watching Closely
Ahmad Hardy is finally on track to get back on the field, and for Saints fans keeping an eye on the future of the running game, that matters. The Missouri back was a highly productive player before the setback that wiped out his first eight weeks, and his return comes with the kind of upside that can make a roster suddenly look a little more interesting down the line.
For now, the expectation is that Hardy will be eased in rather than thrown right into a featured role, with Missouri planning to manage his touches as he works back into game shape. Even so, the idea of a productive runner gradually reclaiming his workload is enough to make him a name worth tracking closely, especially for a Saints team that could use more juice in the backfield whenever the next wave of help arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Trade Deadline Could Finally Unlock A Needed Secondary Shakeup
The Saints have spent enough time tinkering in the secondary that a deadline move would not come as a surprise, and Justin Reid has emerged as the name to watch. With New Orleans looking for ways to sharpen a defense that has leaned on a handful of moving pieces, the idea of shifting Jonas Sanker into a bigger safety role has gained traction as a cleaner fit for both the rookie and the unit around him.
Sanker has already been used in a variety of spots, but the sense here is that he may be better served back where he is most natural, patrolling the back end rather than being asked to wear too many hats. If the Saints do make that kind of adjustment, it could open the door for other changes around the secondary as well, including more flexibility for Quincy Riley and Martin Emerson as the staff tries to settle on the right combination. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Offense Has Turned One Early Fear Into A Real Problem
The early optimism around Tyler Shough and a late-season surge from a year ago has faded into a much tougher reality for New Orleans at the bye week. The Saints are sitting at 2-5, and the offense has not been able to build on its promising start, with inconsistency showing up in the run game, in pass protection and in the rhythm of drives that never seem to stay on schedule for long.
One of the biggest concerns is how often the unit is backing itself into difficult situations, where the margin for error disappears and the defense can pin its ears back. Shough has flashed enough to keep the conversation from turning entirely bleak, but the overall picture is still one of an offense searching for answers, even as a few individual performances have stood out along the way. [Read more 🡒]