Travis Etienne Jr. came out of the week with a clean bill of health, but the Saints still have a bigger problem to solve than the hamstring issue that had him limited in practice until Friday.
Etienne was a full participant in the final practice and carries no injury designation, yet his role has been the real limitation. Through two games, he has not been used like the runner the Saints clearly want him to be. He caught a lot of passes in Week 1 once New Orleans was playing from behind, but that hasn’t translated into the kind of ground-game workload that fits his profile.
Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier made it clear how the Saints view him, pushing back on the idea that Etienne should be labeled as a rushing and receiving back and calling him an elite runner instead. That makes the early-season usage stand out even more. Alvin Kamara has naturally taken a share of the receptions, and that has only sharpened the attention on Etienne’s limited touches.
The fix is pretty straightforward: get Etienne the ball on the ground earlier and more often. He’s the kind of back who settles in when the carries keep coming, and history backs that up.
He has topped 200 rushes in every season but one, and that was his worst year. Eight or nine touches won’t get him into any kind of rhythm, and a dropped toss doesn’t change the larger point.
Kellen Moore has to do a better job of feeding him in the run game.
That matters for more than just Etienne. A stronger rushing attack would help the offense as a whole and take some of the burden off Tyler Shough, who has been carrying too much already.
Shough has thrown 56 passes and then 34 in the first two games, and he has dropped back more than all quarterbacks except C.J. Stroud, with Jordan Love now moving ahead after Thursday Night Football.
That volume has come with heavy pressure, more than any quarterback in the league. He has handled it well, but the Saints can’t keep asking him to absorb that kind of punishment.
That makes this week against the Las Vegas Raiders the right time to lean into the run. Their pass rush has been one of the most productive in the league, and turning this into a game where Shough has to throw 30 or 40 times would only invite more hits. The cleaner answer is on the ground.
This is the kind of matchup where Moore needs to commit to the rushing attack and stay with it. After that, execution takes over. But the first step belongs to him.
In Other News...
Saints Found An Undrafted Rookie They Already Trust In Key Spots
C.J. Donaldson hasnt needed a heavy rushing load to matter for the Saints early on. Through his first two NFL games, the undrafted rookie running back has earned steady praise from teammates and coaches for the less flashy parts of the job, especially his blocking and pass protection. On a roster where every snap has to be earned, Donaldson has shown he can help keep the offense on schedule by picking up pressure and giving the quarterback cleaner pockets.
For New Orleans, that kind of trust is a big deal this early in a rookies career. Donaldsons feel for defensive pressure schemes and his physical style have helped him stay active on third downs, where pass protection often decides whether a drive keeps moving or stalls out. The Saints still have more to learn about what he can do as a runner, but they already seem comfortable putting him in spots that usually go to players they trust most. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Shough Faces An Early Test Saints Fans Should Watch Closely
Tyler Shough has already spent a lot of time dealing with heat this season, and not just the kind that comes with a rookie trying to settle in. He has been under pressure on a steady stream of dropbacks, a sign of both what the line has allowed and the way he plays when a play starts to break down. Even so, Shough has shown he can handle it, extending plays and keeping the offense afloat when defenders get into the pocket.
That will matter again against the Raiders, who bring a varied and effective pass rush into the matchup with New Orleans. The Saints do not need Shough to be perfect, but they do need him to keep his poise when the pocket tightens and to turn those stressful snaps into manageable ones. For a team trying to build around him, this is the kind of test that can tell you a lot without giving the whole story away. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Passing Attack Could Put Raiders To The Test Early
The Raiders head into their first hostile environment of the season riding a 2-0 start, but the challenge waiting in New Orleans looks different from the opening two weeks. The Saints have leaned on a passing game led by Tyler Shough and Chris Olave, giving them a downfield threat that can stress a defense quickly and force a secondary to hold up under pressure.
Las Vegas also has to sort through an injury hit in the back end, with starting safety Treydan Stukes out because of a concussion. That matters against a Saints team that has already shown a knack for rallying late in its first two games, which can make every possession feel heavier and every coverage mistake more costly. [Read more 🡒]