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Sunday Aftermath: The Saints’ death star, Pacheco and Kupp’s injuries, and much more

You probably don’t need me to tell you the Saints’ offense is off to an historically good start, alas. New Orleans’ 91 points through the first two games of the season are the second most this century, trailing only the … 2009 Super Bowl-winning Saints, who scored 93. Derek Carr and company have so far managed one more point than the 2013 Broncos, who rewrote the NFL record book.

Things won’t maintain at this pace, but the changes made by new OC Klint Kubiak have been clear and obvious. Whereas Sean Payton leftover Pete Carmichael acted like he was more comfortable in the horse-and-buggy period than combustible engine era — let alone the electric car age — Kubiak is making no bones about the century he’s in. Via ESPN’s Seth Walder, these are the adjustments Kubiak has made: Dead last in play-action percentage last season, the Saints are now first. 25th in designed rollouts last year, New Orleans is now first. 26th in motion, fifth. It’s simple, band-wagon jumping stuff, and yet deadly effective.

It helps that the Saints have reasonably deep, varied personnel, but it’s not like this is the league’s most imposing skill corps. Chris Olave remains unproven as a genuine No. 1. Rashid Shaheed is a role player. Alvin Kamara is a starting running back nearing age 30. The play-caller is simply putting them in position to succeed, and awful and elite defenses alike in the Panthers and Cowboys have now failed to stop them. The book, of course, is going out. Defensive adjustments will be made. Derek Carr isn’t going to rain holy hellfire every week. But whereas this was a backwards-looking, fantasy-frustrating offense last year, the Saints are now going to do everything in their power to score for both themselves and the fantasy managers of America.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sunday-aftermath-saints-death-star-171236695.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-16 17:12:36

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