Mark Ingram II is just the latest former New Orleans Saints player to share positive words about Kellen Moore, as speculation continues to rise around the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator becoming the next Saints head coach.
However, Ingram’s comments also introduce a new potential layer of pressure waiting for Moore in New Orleans. The former Saints running back didn’t say how he personally felt about Moore, but chose to comment on the stylistic fit in New Orleans.
“I think when Saints were at their best, we had an offensive-minded head coach in Sean Payton,” Ingram told Kay Adams this week. It’s difficult to gauge how Ingram feels about the potential hire, but he does seem to lean towards wanting an offensive-minded head coach.
The problem comes in the form of Payton’s looming shadow. The shadow wouldn’t hang over Moore in the same way it hung over Dennis Allen. Allen was the defensive coordinator under Payton, but Moore would be the first offensive-minded coach since Payton.
There will be some who feel the same way as Ingram. There are already many who see the climate of the NFL, and think offensive minded coaches are the correct choice. For New Orleans, specifically, calling back to the last coach with that type of foundation is natural.
Those comparisons should be fleeting and become nonexistent before the season. Living up to the ghost of Sean Payton immediately will be a near impossible task and is only setting him up to fall short of those standards.
Inevitably, however, there will be a section of fans who make this comparison.
