The New Orleans Saints scored on three of four red zone possessions against the Buffalo Bills, with two touchdowns, a field goal, and an interception. This isn’t a bad percentage. However, fans and analysts won’t remember the two touchdown drives. The lasting memory from this game will be Kellen Moore dialing up a failed Philly Special where Chris Olave threw an interception.
The Saints red zone offense has been questionable to start the season. They’ve had a mix of brilliant and infuriating moments. Their week four loss against the Buffalo Bills was the perfect example of this. They must improve their consistency for any chance of success in 2025.
First off, fans should be excited with the offensive creativity in the red zone. Moore clearly isn’t afraid to change it up. However, he needs to be smarter about the time. A third and goal at the five yard line isn’t an amazing time to dial it up. Granted, Buffalo safety Cole Bishop had a spectacular play, but it still wasn’t a great playcall.
The run game looks improved in the redzone
The Saints had an effective run game while in the red zone. They totaled 43 rushing yards and a touchdown. A majority of the workload was on Kendre Miller. This was highlighted by an 18 yard run on their opening drive. Miller looked strong between the tackles, rarely going down on first contact. They should continue using him in this role. Rookie Devin Neal could also thrive in this.
Spencer Rattler was efficient while scrambling, especially in the red zone. He didn’t force anything and ran when nothing was open. He had multiple 5+ yard runs in this area. Rattler needs to use his legs more, instead of throwing an errant pass.
The Saints red zone offense, particularly the run game, looked much improved in their week four loss to the Bills. The playcalling could still be improved, but that’ll come with reps for Kellen Moore. Watch for the offense to get more efficient as the season progresses.