The New Orleans Saints starting slow offensively is the identity of the Kellen Moore era, so it came as no surprise to them once again start slow against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This slow start was worse than most because Moore had the audacity to joke about the slow starts prior to the game. When talking about what to do to fix the fatal flaw, Moore said, “maybe the time zone change will help and we'll start fast."
Maybe we could have sat back and had a good laugh after the game if the Saints actually started fast, but they didn’t. Instead, the joke aged like milk and begs the question of why he even thought that was a good joke. To be blunt, the team hasn’t earned the right to joke on the matter.
The Saints are by far the worst team in the league at starting football games. The question comes up weekly and answers can feel repetitive, but Moore should have opted to say a lot to say nothing like he typically does. The Saints’ performance in Paris is proof of why.
Saints slow starts hit different when there’s no fast finishes
Starting slow is a part of Kellen Moore’s DNA at this point. He did it in Philadelphia, and he’s done it in New Orleans with two different quarterbacks at the helm. The same results with a variety of different variables and one commonality makes it clear this is just part of Kellen Moore’s game.
The slow starts were emphasized by the fast finishes in the first two weeks. It was frustrating then because the hot close to games showed what the unit was capable of. Those strong finishes have been absent for weeks, making the slow starts look different and even more frustrating.
Consistently starting slow was a frustrating thing that held the team back, but being elite in the fourth quarter cushioned the blow. The team isn't doing that, and now they're just not good offensively. Outside of an explosive 20 minute stretch from the end of the second quarter to beginning of the fourth quarter, the offense has been lethargic for the last month.
The Saints currently have 6 first quarter points in 7 games this year, giving them an average of less than a point a game. They scored a touchdown vs the Raiders and then missed the ensuing extra point, because even when things go right in the first quarter, they can't go all the way right.
As long as Moore is the head coach, it'll be on him to fix it, but it's hard to see a reason to believe he can fix it with what he's put on the field consistently.
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