New Orleans Saints fans aren't the only ones struggling to understand their team's play calling philosophy on offense. Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees was on the call for FOX Sports in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and he was just as taken aback from what head coach Kellen Moore was conducting over the headset.
Brees kept his criticism as polite as possible, but he still noted Moore's approach was "pretty predictable" and broadcasted their intentions to a Vikings defense all too happy to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback. Tyler Shough only threw for 97 yards on 27 dropbacks. He was lucky to only take two sacks along the way.
One point Brees emphasized was the disappearance of play action passing. Using
misdirection to slow down the pass rush can help offenses beat the blitz, but the Saints only executed a single pass with play action -- a 14-yard connection to Chris Olave. They didn't attempt a single screen play, another element featured in football textbooks titled "Beating the Blitz."
And that wasn't lost on Brees, who said "You gotta have answers" when he watched the Minnesota defense pummel the Saints into submission. He also noted that Alvin Kamara was put in "impossible situations" like three consecutive reps in pass protection, an area he struggled in badly enough last season to where he was taken off the field.
It's frustrating. If Moore is going to continue calling plays, he's got to change his approach. He can't keep doing what he's doing. This losing streak is going to continue if he can't adapt.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Drew Brees was as puzzled by Saints' play calling as any fan
