The New Orleans Saints have been largely allergic to success inside the 20 yard line this year. The offense has consistently fell apart once crossing the 30 yard line, but measuring red zone efficiency is much easier. You could make an argument that it's the standout flaw from Year 1 of the Kellen Moore Era. Tyler Shough and the offense has begun to find their groove as of late, however.
LouisianaSports.Net's Ross Jackson brought two stats to the forefront that perfectly encapsulates the change. Through the first 12 weeks of the season, the Saints were dead last in red zone offense. They were only able to turn 34.5 percent of their red zone opportunities into touchdowns.
In the last three weeks, however, the team has flipped that stat nearly completely on its head. The Saints have the third highest red zone percentage in the league over the last three weeks. The Saints made it inside the 20-yard line eight times converted six of those opportunities into touchdowns.
Kellen Moore, Tyler Shough seemed to have settled in during the final stretch of the Saints season
These improvements aren't coming against slouches either. The Dolphins enter this week ranked in the top 10 and the Panthers are just outside the top 10. The Saints scored touchdowns on both of the red zone trips versus Miami and went to 1-2 against Carolina.
It's easy to point to Shough as the catalyst for change, but it's more than just that. Shough has started the last six games, but it's not as if the shift happened as soon as he entered the starting lineup. It took a couple of weeks, and you have to credit Moore for making adjustment.
The most noticeable adjustment has been lessening the reliance on Taysom Hill in these situations. Since returning to the lineup, Moore has used Hill as a short yardage back. Honestly, Hill's usage as a whole has been frustrating, but the criticism was the loudest in the red zone.
Moore began putting the ball in the hands of Shough and fellow rookie, Devin Neal, lately. The results have been impossible to miss. Neal has scored his first two touchdowns in the last two weeks, and both were in short yardage situations. You have to credit Moore for his adjustments.