It's easy to say Travis Etienne had a poor showing in his debut with the New Orleans Saints, underwhelming for sure, but a lot of the finger pointing needs to be directed at Kellen Moore's usage of Etienne. The running game was certainly ineffective when used, but the Saints didn't pay him handsomely to carry the ball just 9 times in Week 1. That must change versus the Baltimore Ravens.
The 21 point deficit didn't come into play until the middle of the third quarter. Of course that took the run game out of the picture, but Etienne specifically only saw four carries in the first half. The lack of dedication to the run was just as much of a catalyst for Etienne's poor debut as effectiveness and situation were.
There were other running backs getting carries, but the Saints didn't make Etienne a top-10 paid running back to share carries evenly with Kendre Miller. Both players received 9 carries on the game, and though Etienne paired it with 7 catches, that's not the player they brought him to New Orleans to be. They need to lean into letting their free agency splash tote the rock more this week.
Using Travis Etienne could help Saints stop Derrick Henry
The biggest advantage the Ravens have against the Saints is their ability to run the football against a team that struggles to stop it. There isn't a bigger reason for fans to be worried about this game, and honestly nothing suggests the Saints will be better at stopping the Ravens rushing attack than they were at stopping Detroit in Week 1.
Lamar Jackson is a mismatch for pretty much every defense in the league. His ability to pass and run at such a high level make him a threat for explosive plays every time the ball is in his hands.
Derrick Henry is an absolute tank with long speed. He can bruise and abuse you for three quarters then dominate in the fourth if he hadn't already dominated in the first three. The duo of Jackson and Henry is documented, and it's just a flat out weak spot for the Saints defense.
If you can't stop them when they're on the field, then the only option is for the Saints to keep Jackson and Henry off the field. That's where Etienne comes into play. This is one of those times where the best defense genuinely is a good offense.
The Saints have to play the time of possession game. If they can control the ball and have lengthier drives on offense, the team won't have to see the Ravens rushing tandem as much. New Orleans won't be able to do that, however, by just giving Etienne 4 first half carries.
Moore has notoriously used running backs heavily, but Week 1 wasn't an example of that. He can't make that mistake two consecutive Sunday's, otherwise he risks leaving his defense vulnerable to a team tailor made to exploit the Saint's biggest defensive weakness.
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