Saints Storylines: What to make of Sean Payton's run-heavy play calling

Saints Storylines: What to make of Sean Payton’s run-heavy play calling

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints watches his team play against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter of their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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Saints (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

The Saints have been a pass-heavy team under head coach Sean Payton, but could that be changing in 2020? What does this mean for their season outlook?

Between Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and Alvin Kamara, the Saints have had an abundance of offensive talent.

However, the foundation of the offense comes from head coach Sean Payton, who is regarded as one of the premier offensive play-callers in the NFL.

Generally, Payton has embraced pass-heavy tendencies, particularly on early downs; last season, he ranked fourth on early-down passes with a win probability between 20-80%, excluding the fourth quarter, per The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.

This season, though, according to Sharp Football Stats, the Saints have passed the ball on early downs in the first three quarters (when game script isn’t a concern) the fifth least of any team.

Four games is a short sample size, but is there legitimate evidence that Payton is changing up his tendencies. If so, what does this mean for the Saints moving forward?

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