With the second week of training camp underway, the New Orleans Saints offense finally found its rhythm.
The defense has looked very good, and that’s a positive for a unit that finished last season strong under first-year defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. The addition of LB Kaden Elliss following the departure of Demario Davis is already paying dividends. Staley has been moving Elliss all over the defense, utilizing him in multiple roles within the scheme.
The pass rush has also been effective
early in camp. It’s not as if the offensive line has been struggling in one particular area—the defense has simply been making the right plays. The coverage on the back end has been very strong as well. Jonas Sanker is making significant strides at the star position, and it’s helping elevate the entire defense.
This is how the flow of camp should go. A defense with a great deal of returning experience should naturally be a little ahead of an offense that is young and breaking in several new players at key positions.
Today, however, belonged to the offense.
Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reported that the offense had a huge bounce-back performance. This was the first padded practice of camp, and that proved to be a major benefit for the offensive line. With pads on, the line of scrimmage can finally play the way it’s intended to—with maximum physicality. The offensive line was able to establish true run fits and lean on that physicality to help slow down an aggressive pass rush.
That, in turn, opened things up for Tyler Shough, who put together his best practice of training camp so far. Underhill noted that Shough finished team periods completing 11 of 14 passes, with one throwaway and no turnovers. It’s also important to note that Shough’s average depth of target was more than 10 yards, meaning the offense was pushing the ball downfield rather than relying on short, safe throws.
It was an outstanding response considering how uncomfortable both Shough and the offense looked on Sunday, when he reportedly finished team periods just 3 of 13.
A practice like this is one the team can build upon. The defense now has some film to evaluate and make adjustments, while a young offense can gain confidence, continue to develop chemistry, and grow together.
