Saints hiring Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator should unlock Alvin Kamara

The New Orleans Saints have made the decision to move on with Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator. Kubiak is an experienced offensive coach that has been around NFL football all of his life. The son of Gary Kubiak, Klint has been coaching in the NFL since 2013. Most recently, Klint Kubiak spent the 2023 season as the pass game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.

While Kubiak has a ton of experience at several different stops, his work with the 49ers should be most exciting for Saints fans. Not only did San Francisco have one of the league’s best offenses and go to the Super Bowl, the team had the Offensive Player of the Year, Christian McCaffrey. Playing in 16 games this past season, McCaffrey led the league in rushing with 1,459 yards on 272 carries and 14 rushing touchdowns. He also caught the ball 67 times for 564 yards and an additional seven touchdowns.

Obviously, Kubiak won’t be bringing Christian McCaffrey with him to the Saints; San Francisco would never let that happen. Fortunately, New Orleans already has a similarly talented player in Alvin Kamara. Kubiak could help Kamara’s game go to the next level.

Will Klint Kubiak improve Saints’ usage of Alvin Kamara?

Kamara and McCaffrey both entered the league in 2017 and they were often compared because of their similar skillset and production. However, in recent years, there’s a significant gap in the perception of the two running backs. McCaffrey was recently ranked as the league’s No.1 running back, while Kamara was ranked at No. 30. The distance between the two has far more to do with their usage than their abilities.

McCaffrey found himself in the perfect situation in San Francisco after the 49ers traded for him in 2022. Playing on a loaded offense, McCaffrey became the engine of the talented squad and he delivered.

Things haven’t been as pleasant for Alvin Kamara. In 2023, he played in 13 games, recording 180 carries for 694 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught 75 passes for 466 yards and one touchdown.

Kubiak knows how an offense can operate around a special running back. He won’t be able to bring the offensive line and weapons that San Francisco has, but he should be able to utilize concepts and designs to use Kamara similarly to how the 49ers use Christian McCaffrey. If Kubiak does that, and the rest of the offense comes along as well, Alvin Kamara should be able to remind everyone that he’s one of the best running backs in the NFL, and the Saints offense would benefit.

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