We head towards Week 4 of the NFL season with the New Orleans Saints owning a 1-2 record. The Saints have an impressive road win over the Baltimore Ravens but have two heartbreaking close losses, including a 35-27 defeat at home to the Las Vegas Raiders last week. As expected, the Saints have a vastly improved offensive attack. Most of that improvement is via the pass behind second-year quarterback Tyler Shough and a productive group of pass catchers. After three weeks of the season, here's where the Saints rank in each offensive category.
Saints Total Offense
- 27 points per game (11th)
- 382.7 yards per game (8th)
- 75 first downs (2nd)
- 7 turnovers (29th)
- 53.2% third down efficiency (4th)
- 81.8% red zone percentage (4th)
Passing Attack
- 281.3 yards per game (3rd)
- 68.9% completion percentage
- 8 touchdowns (3rd)
- 3 interceptions (23rd)
- 132 attempts (1st)
- 91 completions (1st)
- 10 sacks (31st)
- 48 first downs (1st)
Rushing Attack
- 80 attempts (16th)
- 101.3 yards per game (16th)
- 2 touchdowns (13th)
- 3.8 per carry (21st)
Quarterback Tyler Shough has started his second season on a tear. The lack of a running game has put greater pressure on Shough but he's responded like a franchise star. However, Shough must show better ball
security. He's thrown 3 interceptions and lost 3 fumbles. Still, Shough and his pass catchers have been slowed little by opposing defenses through three games.
Wide receivers Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, and tight end Juwan Johnson have been responsible for 62.7% of Shough's completions and 78.5% of the receiving yardage. Olave is among the league's most productive wideouts with 27 receptions and 375 yards. Vele and Johnson have been nearly as effective with 15 catches each and only 1 yard separating them. Tight end Noah Fant has been a strong complement with 3 receiving scores, matching Johnson for the team lead. Rookie fourth round choice Bryce Lance has only 4 receptions so far, but the team is trying to get him more involved. Once that happens and first round pick Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) returns from injured reserve, New Orleans could have one of the NFL's deepest crew of pass catchers.
Unfortunately, the Saints cannot boast the same kind of production from their running game. New Orleans backs have accounted for a meager 3.6 per carry and an average of 78 yards per game on the ground. They did have their best production of the young season with 148 yards against the Raiders in Week 3, nearly matching their ground output (156) through the first two weeks. However, lead back Travis Etienne, who has 128 rushing yards, will now miss several weeks with a hamstring injury. The rushing onus now falls to Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller with more usage from undrafted rookie CJ Donaldson. They'll be tasked with taking some pressure of a passing game that leads the league in attempts.
New Orleans must also be much better along the offensive line in both pass protection and run blocking. The backs have had little room to operate, allowing opponents to blitz Shough constantly. Shough has shown the ability to beat the blitz but is still improving in that area. His line must also give him better protection, as the young quarterback has been under constant duress and has taken a concerning amount of hits. Expect the New Orleans passing game to remain productive. However, this team needs a consistent running game and better balance. Doing so should cut down some of the turnovers, which will be helped further by better ball security from Shough. Better balance and protection of the franchise quarterback must start with the offensive line.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: New Orleans Saints offensive rankings through Week 3
