Will the Saints’ run game bounce back in 2024?

In the 2023 season, the New Orleans Saints had Alvin Kamara, one of the most talented running backs in the league, Jamaal Williams, who led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2022, and Taysom Hill, the do-it-all offensive weapon that makes a ton of plays on the ground. Still, the Saints had a below average run game.

Out of the 32 teams in the league, New Orleans ranked 21st in rushing yards per game with 102.5. The team averaged just 3.6 yards a carry, which was 31st in the league, and only had 13 rushing touchdowns, 18th in the NFL. As a result of the mediocre run game, the Saints were bad in the red zone and finished the season with an average 9-8 record.

Now, as New Orleans works to once again become a contender, the run game will have to be fixed if that’s going to happen. Fortunately, the Saints will enter next season with a positive outlook.

Saints should be able to run the ball better in 2024

New Orleans still has Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams, as well as Kendre Miller who came on strong late last season during his rookie year. The difference, though, is that the Saints now have Klint Kubiak as the team’s offensive coordinator. Kubiak will implement a zone-running scheme, a similar scheme to his last team, the San Francisco 49ers.

While the 49ers have a lot that the Saints don’t, the schematics should help Kamara and the running backs have more open lanes on the ground. Additionally, New Orleans is working to revamp the offensive line, adding rookie Taliese Fuaga, a physical mauler that has already played in a similar scheme. If the line can play well, and the passing game also evolves into something that defenses have to worry about, the Saints should once again be a team with a good rushing attack.

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