Kellen Moore sheds light on Saints self-scout process

By Ross Jackson

METAIRIE, La. — Now that the New Orleans Saints are back on Airline Drive, the team is ready to gear up for its next contest against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12. Coming out of the Week 11 bye week allows the team to refocus its path forward with new insights and some potential adjustments. 

Head coach Kellen Moore met with local media on Monday and shared a glimpse behind the curtain at some of those self-scouting processes and results that will certainly be in the crosshairs over the final seven games of the season. 

“[Self-acouting] allows you to kind of recognize the things that you feel good about and the things that you want to improve and learn from,” Moore said. “It’s always good to kind of go through that. You do that to some extent during the season, each and every week. I think the bye week allows you to really dive into it even more. It’s a great resource. It’s a really good piece of information you can collect and kind of make some adjustments from there.”

Moore then highlighted a pair of areas from which the team had takeaways following their introspection. 

Red Zone

“Red zone is an area that you look into,” he said. “Just because every time you’re down there, the value of a touchdown is huge. And so right now, that’s a big opportunity for us to grow in.”

Indeed so. The Saints currently rank No. 32, last, in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage with a conversion rate of just 38.5%. The No. 31 team, the Houston Texans, fall in at 43.3%. 

Over the last three weeks, the Saints have struggled uniquely. In those contests, New Orleans has only converted 16.7% of its red zone possessions into those ending with touchdowns. 

This has been a major area of concern for the Saints all season long. How they attack it over the final stretch may provide a clear indication of the team’s ability to diagnose growth areas and adjust accordingly. 

Run Game

“Some of the run game things [are] opportunities to grow and create explosive plays,” Moore said next. “There’s always all these little margins that hopefully we can improve on.”

The Saints’ run game impressed in their Week 10 win against the Carolina Panthers. While the team finished the game with a sub-four yard per run average, the offense was above four yards per carry through the first three quarters. It wasn’t until they dedicated 13 rushes in the final 7:35 offensive possession to seal the victory that they fell below. 

Moore observed a more cohesive protection unit in the run game during the win as well. 

New Orleans has now rushed for more than 100 yards as a team in four games. Three of which have included veteran lineman Dillon Radunz as the starter at left guard. With lineman Trevor Penning traded to the Los Angeles Chargers ahead of the trade deadline, Radunz is set to remain the starter on the interior for the remainder of the season. 

The team was without right tackle Taliese Fuaga last week as he managed an ankle injury. His potential return could bolster the run game even further. 

Moore helped the Philadelphia Eagles flip their run game into their offensive identity over the bye week last year. Perhaps there’s some magic left to at least generate more explosive plays for the Saints’ run game as it returns to action. 

The Saints have not seen a 30-plus yard rush by a running back since the end of the 2021 season. Scheming up some home run hits down the stretch could inject a lot of confidence and optimism around this essential area of the game. 

These are all of the #Saints 30+ yard rushing plays in the regular season from 2020 through 2025 so far.

What stands out to you? pic.twitter.com/SZcVBXZHJz

— Ross Jackson (@RossJacksonNOLA) October 26, 2025

While these won’t be the only takeaways from the bye week, they are some essential areas of improvement to watch as the season closes out.