We’re on to Week 13, so it’s a good opportunity to take stock of the New Orleans Saints on offense and defense to see how they stack up with their competition around the league. Obviously things aren’t where they need to be, given their 4-8 record on the year so far, but we can take this time to see what this team is and how they rank across the NFL:
Passing offense
- 234.1 yards per game (11th)
- 80.9 PFF grade (5th)
- -1.4% DVOA (24th)
So things are split. The Saints have a functional passing attack, but whether it’s effective or a liability appears to be in the eye of the beholder. What’s clear is that they aren’t good enough to threaten better defenses around the league. Finding a real upgrade at quarterback must be an offseason priority.
Rushing offense
- 113.2 yards per game (21st)
- 79.8 PFF grade (Tied-18th)
- -3.3% DVOA (13th)
Yeah, this is a mediocre unit. The Saints offensive line hasn’t been able to consistently gain ground in the run game, and they lack explosive athleticism at running back to take a crease and make a big play. Taysom Hill is somehow still underused in this phase.
Scoring offense
- 20.8 points per game (21st)
Yeah, that quite plainly isn’t good enough. Not for a team boasting talents like Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, who have combined for 6 touchdowns through the season thus far.
Pass defense
- 197.3 yards per game (7th)
- 66.8 PFF pass rush grade (25th)
- 62.5 PFF coverage grade (19th)
- +2.3% DVOA (12th)
Ratings are all over the place here, but one problematic area we can zoom in on is the pass rush. The Saints just aren’t finishing sacks. They’re bringing pressure, often with just four rushers, and moving opposing quarterbacks off their mark but it isn’t resulting in sacks. Too many passes are being completed anyway. The lack of a speed element along the defensive line is a factor. You can’t have all of your rushers tipping the scales at 300 pounds.
Run defense
- 129.1 yards per game (22nd)
- 58.6 PFF run defense grade (17th)
- -1.5% DVOA (23rd)
Yikes. The Saints started the season out strong in run defense, only to regress as the year wore on. They’ve bounced back in recent weeks with fewer missed tackles and better gap discipline, but teams are still running on them when they want to.
Scoring defense
- 23.3 points per game (19th)
Middle of the road, which makes sense. But the Saints are one of the NFL’s best red zone defenses, so that suggests the scores they are giving up are mainly happening on big plays from the open field. That’s a product of poor safety play over the top.
