Over the course of the 2026 NFL season, a few things have become more and more apparent with the New Orleans Saints. One of the most notable is that there is certainly a disconnect between the offense and the coaches, or something that is causing significant deficiencies with the run game specifically. While Travis Etienne Jr. being out certainly hurts, the team still struggled to move the ball on the ground even with him, with defenses pouncing on every opportunity.
Recently, it has come to light from opposing defenders that the Saints have been effectively using Kellen Moore on the sideline to relay defensive looks to Tyler Shough, and trying to tell him what to check for in that look. The problem with this, is that defenses have now figured
it out, with Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts discussing this topic recently following their matchup in Paris.
Revealing comment from #Steelers LB Elandon Roberts. Noticed on film Saints QB Tyler Shough wasn't making checks himself - HC Kellen Moore relayed them in.
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) October 27, 2026
So Steelers defense stayed static until < 15 seconds when playcallers can't talk to QB. Two examples of it below. First… pic.twitter.com/qV5Mc2J41E
Even worse, this is not the first time something of this nature has come up with Moore. Back in 2019, it was reported that the Saints actually had scouted out that he was tipping his calls using some of his previous hand gestures from Boise State when he was a quarterback. As the offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys at the time, Moore was held to 10 points against the Saints in that 2019 matchup, and the latter would win without Drew Brees 12-10.
CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin highlighted this connection around the same time, as the Cowboys offense started to fall apart simultaneously. While you would assume this would mean Moore would find more modern ways to work the offense and avoid falling into a similar trap, apparently in 2026, defenses have once again scouted a deficiency in his coaching, directly leading to his team facing the consequences.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Steelers exploited same Kellen Moore tendency Saints used to beat him
