The New Orleans Saints couldn’t quite finish the comeback against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, falling 20-13. While that score doesn’t necessarily scream contender, there are some positives to take away from Kellen Moore’s head coaching debut.
The Pass Rush Could be a Strength
Even without Chase Young, the Saints pass rush showed that they should be a solid unit this season. Recording five sacks in one game is impressive in any game, but doing it against one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in Kyler Murray is an especially noteworthy feat.
On a perhaps more interesting note, New Orleans limited Murray to a mere 38 yards rushing. Being able to bring Murray down in the backfield is one thing. Limiting his impact as a rusher beyond the line of scrimmage is another and bodes well for their ability to corral other dual threat quarterbacks on their schedule such as Drake Maye and Justin Fields.
Spencer Rattler Looked Better*
Let me preface this by saying that the word “better” is doing a lot of work in that statement. Out of 42 qualified quarterbacks last season, PFF ranked Rattler dead last. In that sense, improvement seemed like a foregone conclusion.
To Rattler’s credit, he did show a modicum of improvement. He didn’t turn the ball over, and he flashed some rushing ability. However, his 4.65 yards per pass attempt would have ranked 54th amongst all qualified quarterbacks last year.
Of course, some of that is due to the offensive scheme in game one of a head coach’s debut season likely being more conservative. But if Rattler wants to stick as the starter, he’s going to have to be more efficient with his intermediate to deep throws.
As it stands, if Rattler continues to play this way, the Saints likely won’t lose many games due to him specifically. But he will very rarely, if ever, be the driving force behind any wins they record.
Kellen Moore Stumbles in His Head Coaching Debut
While Moore should be graded on a slightly softer scale due to this being his first game as a head coach, he did leave a lot of beignets on the table with some questionable decisions.
Opting to not use any of his timeouts as the Cardinals ran out the end of the second quarter was quizzical at the moment and remains so now. Either you believe in Rattler enough to do something at the end of the half and save the clock, or Rattler shouldn’t be your starter.
A lack of involvement from Alvin Kamara and Rashid Shaheed also raised eyebrows from New Orleans fans. While Shaheed did record six catches, his 5.5 yards per catch showed an inefficient use of his field stretching ability.
Kamara started strong, recording an 18-yard run for a touchdown early in the second quarter. He was largely absent from the game plan for the rest of the game, though. While the game script didn’t lend itself to a heavy dose of running, Kamara’s near total removal from the offense was befuddling.
Overall, the Saints looked better than many expected in Week 1. The pass rush stepped up, Rattler didn’t look like the worst quarterback in the league, and Kellen Moore will likely learn from his mistakes. If they can build on these things, they likely still won’t be a contender. But, new uniforms notwithstanding, they might not be totally unwatchable.