The New Orleans Saints had what will probably be the most frustrating loss they'll have all season on Monday, getting thrashed by the Atlanta Falcons 45-24. Many things can be blamed for the L, but it was their lack of run game that did the team in.
On national TV, the Saints' run game looked like they were playing dead, with only 25 rushing yards entering the fourth quarter. Adding to the frustration is the fact that it's a continuation of the trend, as they currently rank 27th in the league with 354 rushing yards. That number gets even worse when you take out Tyler Shough's scrambles, which puts them 31st in the league with 282.
Travis Etienne Jr. has been the main halfback this season, and even though he was placed on injured reserve last week, his 128 rushing yards lead the team heading into week five. Alvin Kamara, who missed week one, has 74 rushing yards through three games played and has nearly been outran by his quarterback (Shough has 72 rushing yards this season). The run game truly needs to get fixed fast, because they can't have Shough put on the Superman cape each week.
The Saints offense needs to find a way to revive the run game
For the Saints, this issue comes down to the play-calling. There's no reason that there should only be seven run plays called through the first two quarters, which is what happened against Atlanta. If they just handed the ball off even a little bit more, it would do wonders for the team as a whole in the long run.
It's disappointing that the team is here now, given how hyped the run game was over the offseason. They invested in that part of the offense as well, with Etienne and guard David Edwards as their two biggest signings of the summer. At the rate they're going at on the ground, they might kill Tyler Shough's arm before the season is over.
The young quarterback has 180 pass attempts through four weeks this year, which ranks second in franchise history behind Drew Brees' 191 attempts in 2012. In comparison, the rushing attempts this season are just over half of the quarterback's attempts, with running backs accounting for 95 of the 99 rush attempts through four weeks. A lopsided offense, rather than a balanced one, is what the Saints are working with this year.
They need to quickly find some sort of solution, because their next opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, has a mad scientist running their defense. The Brian Flores-led unit, which boasts one of the NFL's best run defenses with only 378 yards allowed, has the potential to deliver a fatal blow to the limping run game in New Orleans.
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