For every New Orleans Saints fan craving accountability and ownership, look no further than star center and team captain Erik McCoy.
After Monday’s firing of run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti, McCoy was asked about the change, and rather than placing blame of the team’s faltering run game upon the former staff member or any of the remaining coaches, he took the move as an evaluation of the play of himself and his teammates instead.
“I still think he’s a hell of a coach,” McCoy said. “At the end of the day when somebody gets fired; whether that’s head coach, coordinator, position coach, somebody else, it’s an indictment on us as well. We didn’t execute the scheme good enough. We didn’t execute what we were coached good enough. So, it sucks because it is somebody else’s livelihood as well.”
As a team captain, it’s exactly the kind of response anyone would hope to hear.
McCoy is one of the league’s top centers, and he’s played like it this year. He’s the Saints’ highest-graded run blocker and has been excellent in pass protection allowing just five pressures so far this season including no sacks.
He currently ranks No. 3 in ESPN’s pass-block win rate among interior offensive linemen and No. 10 among the same group in run-block win rate.
McCoy could easily make the decision to pass the buck, or simply react to the news without a need to take on any accountability. But that’s not the player he’s proven to be over the years and he’s again proven his reputation correct.
The Saints will be looking to now make some sizable improvements in their run game. From scheme and fundamentals to workflow and execution.
After moving on from Paganetti, who has been a part of some stellar rushing attacks in both college and the pros, New Orleans now has to prove they’ve made the right decision with the coaching staff change.
McCoy and the players want to get the rushing attack going as well, so execution will be a focal point throughout the practice week.
New Orleans draws a favorable matchup in this area in Week 8, hosting the Cleveland Browns. The Browns (5-3) currently have the No. 24 rushing defense, allowing 126.9 rushing yards per game so far this season.
If the Saints can find some success on the ground against the Browns, especially if they get running back Travis Etienne Jr. back in the process, it could be a major confidence builder to follow up a solemn week on Airline Drive.
