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Saints Rushing Attack vs. Falcons Run Defense

New Orleans needs to flex the muscle of it's running game to pull out a Week 18 victory in Atlanta for a chance at the playoffs.

Bob Rose

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The New Orleans Saints wrap up their 2021-22 regular season with a road game against their biggest rival, the Atlanta Falcons. At 8-8, the Saints need a victory, along with a Rams win over the 49ers, to get into the playoffs. They've already lost to Atlanta once this season, a 27-25 defeat at home on Nov.7.

The Saints are in playoff contention despite one of the worst offenses in the league. Their average of 300.5 yards per game ranks a lowly 29th in the NFL. Last week's fourth quarter touchdown in a win over Carolina broke an 11 quarter string the Saints had gone without a touchdown.

The unit has been ravaged by injuries and plagued by mistakes and ineffective play. It has most affected their passing attack, which ranks 31st in the league.

The abysmal aerial production, along with injuries to elite tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk, have also caused defenses to crowd the line of scrimmage against the running game.

New Orleans takes on an Atlanta defense that ranks 24th in the NFL. The Falcons surrender an average of nearly 27 points and 364 yards/game. They've performed slightly better against the pass than the run, but are ranked at the bottom of the league on third downs and red-zone defense.

Despite an 18-point fourth quarter deficit during their Week Nine loss to Atlanta, the Saints picked up 109 yards on the ground. To keep postseason hopes alive, they'll need even better rushing production in this rematch.

New Orleans Running Game

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs against the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

The Saints rank 17th in rushing production, averaging 112.3 yards/outing. Passing deficiencies and a short-handed offensive line has handcuffed the running game. New Orleans ranks just 28th in yards per carry (3.9) and has been held to less than 90 yards on the ground in the last three games.

Ramczyk has missed the last seven contests with a knee injury. Armstead has been sidelined for six of the last eight games. Without their Pro Bowl tackles, Saints rushers have not been able to get to the edge.

New Orleans also needs better interior blocking to spring their runners. Star C Erik McCoy is expected back after missing last week with Covid. Second-year RG Cesar Ruiz has been a massive disappointment and LG Calvin Throckmorton has been erratic in recent weeks.

Pro Bowl RB Alvin Kamara leads the team with 752 yards rushing and has scored four touchdowns on the ground, but has averaged a career low 3.6 per carry. Despite missing four games with a knee injury, Kamara has logged a career-high 210 carries this season.

The league's most versatile offensive weapon, Kamara has two outings of over 100 yards rushing in 2021. However, he's been held to a total of just 102 yards rushing on 37 carries in the last three contests.

New Orleans Saints Taysom Hill (7) runs through the Falcons defense for a touchdown. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Taysom Hill will make his fifth start at quarterback this Sunday. Hill isn't a polished or accurate passer, but adds a huge element to the running game. Despite missing five games and being limited in others this year, he has 356 yards on the ground and a team-high 5 rushing scores.

Hill, who had 101 yards rushing in a Week 13 loss to Dallas, is a physical runner who can bulldoze through tacklers. He also has explosive speed to pull away from defenders in the open field.

Veteran RB Mark Ingram returned to the Saints at mid-season via trade two years after his departure. Now the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns, Ingram is a terrific complement to Kamara with his power and burst between the tackles.

Ingram has been slowed by a knee injury that’s limited his touches and kept him out of two of the last five ballgames. He has 260 yards on the ground and a rushing score in seven games. If he can't go, Tony Jones and Ty Montgomery will spell Kamara.

Atlanta Run Defense

Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) is tackled from behind by Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones (45). Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY 

The Falcons rank 26th against the run, giving up an average of 128 yards/game. They've allowed just two individual 100-yard rushing performances, but have only held four teams under 100 yards on the ground.

Opponents have steamrolled the Falcons in recent weeks. Atlanta has surrendered an average of 175 yards rushing in the last three games, including a season-high 233 against Buffalo last week.

The Falcons have a pair of top-tier linebackers in Deion Jones and Foyesade Oluokun. Both are athletic sideline-to-sideline defenders who lead the team in tackles by a wide margin. Atlanta has just 53 tackles for loss as a team. Oluokun, with a team-high 7, and Jones have accounted for 11 of those.

Outside linebackers Steven Means and Dante Fowler are better pass rushers than run defenders. Means is the better of the two against the run, while the explosive Fowler struggles in the trenches.

Seventh-year DE/DT Grady Jarrett is the team’s best defensive lineman. Jarrett has had a down year and the entire front has been pushed around often this season. Marlon Davidson, a second-round draft choice in 2020, shows promise but has appeared in just ten games this year.

What to Watch

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) fights off Atlanta safety Ricardo Allen (37) for extra yardage. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Falcons have been one of the few teams able to contain Alvin Kamara throughout his career.

In nine meetings against Atlanta, Kamara has scored three touchdowns while averaging 57 yards rushing and catching 44 passes for 352 yards. His most productive game against the Falcons was earlier this year, when he had 104 yards from scrimmage.

Backup QB Trevor Siemian played in that Week 9 loss. Siemian led a furious fourth quarter comeback, but doesn't bring the rushing element to the offense that Taysom Hill does. Hill was coming off a concussion in that earlier matchup that had him sidelined for three games.

Remember that Taysom Hill started at quarterback in place of an injured Drew Brees in both meetings with the Falcons last season. Hill completed 75% of his throws for 465 yards and two touchdowns in those two contests. He also rushed for 132 yards and two more scores.

New Orleans needs Armstead and/or Ramczyk back in the lineup for a better push up front.  For the offense to be most effective, they need to isolate Kamara and Hill in space against the athletic Falcons linebackers. 

The Saints simply don't have the offensive firepower to mount a comeback if they fall behind. They'll rely on their defense, but they also need to establish the run against a reeling Atlanta defense. A final, desperate, grasp for the playoffs depend on it.

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Bob Rose
BOB ROSE

Covers the New Orleans Saints as a senior writer for the Saints News Network.  Co-Host of the Bayou Blitz Podcast.