Saints Won By Putting Playmakers in Position to Succeed
After their much-needed and vastly improved performance on Sunday, the New Orleans Saints look to have found a groove for their offense. Now, they will need to prove they can muster and find that rhythm consistently through the remainder of the season. In order to do that, staying true to one element that changed their game against the Colts will be paramount.
Something the Saints did the best they have over the last season and a half was putting their best playmakers in position to make plays. All of which elevated with quarterback Derek Carr’s best game as a Saint and a commitment to the run game.
Here are some ways New Orleans successfully maximized its talent, and some possibilities on how the team can build on that.
First off, Carr was on point. He distributed the ball well and showed great communication with the pass-catchers. Save an off-target slant route to wideout Michael Thomas and a mistimed/loss in the lights throw to receiver Chris Olave, things went about as good as you could expect in a bounce back game and should get better from here.
Thomas was utilized in a way that elevated his skills set to the level many expect to see. Now, Thomas has been the team's most consistent weapon throughout the season both in terms of availability and production. He has brought in at least 4 catches for 40 receiving yards in every game except for last week's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. In that game he had 3 catches for 42 receiving yards.
Oct 29, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) evades a tackle by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Tony Brown (38) during the first quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Thomas was targeted on 3 in-breaking routes and ran several towards the middle of the field throughout the contest. The big-bodied receiver ran slants, digs, and overs on a consistently mixed in basis with the team's perimeter attack. He was a lot more active in attacking the middle of the field, which plays to his strength. His four out-breaking targets were a back shoulder throw (the first pass of the game) and three quick outs, even one that paired the route with a speed out by Carr allowing the two to create a ton of space.
Thomas also reeled in 3 catches for 63 yards against Colts backup cornerback Tony Brown who was clearly identified as a mismatch the team liked. Brown was targeted 7 times per Pro Football Focus and surrendered 187 yards in the process.
Speedster Rashid Shaheed was utilized well deep, not only with his straight-line speed but also crossing the field. He totaled a remarkable stat line of 3 catches for 153 receiving yards and a touchdown catch. On his hard-fought 44-yard contested catch from Hill, Shaheed successfully sold his vertical release and created initial separation laterally as he crossed the field. Shaheed is a big play factory and was on full display against the Colts with receptions of 44, 51 and 58 yards. The longest going for a touchdown on a well delivered ball by Carr.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7), wide receiver Chris Olave (12) and tight end Foster Moreau (87) celebrate a touchdown by Hill on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Olave has has drawn his scrutiny these last few weeks, but it has not stopped him from producing. During his last three games he's brought in 96, 57 and 46 receiving yards. This game should have had a touchdown score for the young pass-catcher, but head coach Dennis Allen credited the missed connection to Olave losing the ball in mid-air. It looked like he might have expected the ball to arrive a little later as he ran wide open up the field.
But even with that drop, Olave's usage put him in great positions. He ran several routes downfield, sure. But his best work was done in finding holes in the Colts' zone coverage and sitting down in those pockets. This is something Olave did well throughout his rookie season, too. It was good to see him getting back to that comfort level.
The second-year pro also worked sidelines well and was excellent at the top of his routes. On his longest reception of the day for 15 yards, he found space by breaking down Indianapolis cornerback Jaylon Jones so harshly before his break that Jones stumbled and nearly fell over. Next thing for Olave will be taking an out like that upfield along the sideline for additional yardage rather than getting out of bounds in that situation.
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) dives for a touchdown, under defensive pressure from Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard (53), on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Running back Alvin Kamara's deployment was excellent as well. His first touchdown score was the result of another brilliantly run option route. He caught the Colts defender leveraging outside, cut back inside on the angle route, fought through contact and crossed the goal line. Just about any other running back in the NFL would have been down on the four-yard line on that play, but not Kamara.
"I like that no linebacker can cover me when we call it," Kamara said when asked about the route in his postgame presser. "It's just been trying to get that kind of back into our offense and back up. And Derek likes the call. I think our offense likes the call. It's just getting the right looks and and getting in position to be able to call those."
The Saints also trusted the running back to be a primary focus in the red zone run game. He was also accompanied by Hill in that role. Of the 11 plays New Orleans ran inside the Colts' 20-yard line (so 19 or closer), 10 involved Kamara or Hill gaining yardage. Hill also had a 20-yard touchdown run that will not be counted as a red zone score since the play was not run from inside the 20.
The bottom line of the team's win, at least on the offensive side, is that it did what it needed to to in order to put its best players in position to make plays. And they did so at the biggest moments. Still with some things to clean up and even more play makers to continue to work into the fold like running back Jamaal Williams and tight ends Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau and Jimmy Graham, optimism around New Orleans is not just about what was shown, but also what could be added.
