Entering Monday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints fans were expecting to see a lot of Kendre Miller. Alvin Kamara was sidelined with a groin injury, rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler was starting, and a ton of pass catchers were missing the game as well. Add in that it was really cold, and it seemed like the perfect storm for the second-year running back to have a big workload in primetime.
However, Miller ended the game with 10 total touches— eight carries and two receptions. His 15 rushing yards were third most on the team, trailing Rattler and Jordan Mims, and he ultimately was not a factor in the 34-0 loss.
Following the game, interim head coach Darren Rizzi explained the frustrating decision to not feature one of the most talented active players. Rizzi said the Saints definitely had a plan to feed Miller coming into the game, but since the Packers got out to such a big lead so quickly, the plan shifted.
Darren Rizzi said the Saints had a plan for Kendre Miller coming in but because they dug a hole, things changed and that's why there was more Jordan Mims.
— John Hendrix (@JohnJHendrix) December 24, 2024
Said game plan didn't play out the way they wanted to.
Saints went away from Kendre Miller because of Packers’ fast start
Monday was only Rizzi’s sixth game as interim head coach, but he already has the whole coach speak thing down, because every coach has said some variation of we wanted to run the ball, but the way the game unfolded forced us to abandon those plans.
To be fair, though, Green Bay did score three touchdowns on its first three possessions, so the Saints were quickly down 21-0. Additionally, it probably didn’t matter what New Orleans did offensively, because the Packers were shutting everything down, recording the first shutout of the entire NFL season.
What is interesting, though, is New Orleans felt Jordan Mims was more equipped than Miller to be the running back in passing situations. This means Kendre Miller, who’s only in his second year, has a lot more developing to do in pass protection and catching out of the backfield.