It won’t be easy, but the New Orleans Saints will have to pioneer their season’s rebound with their run game on offense. The challenge, as has often been the case for the team in recent years, comes from health.
But if the Saints can truly scheme their way into a successful run game that propels them to a victory against the Carolina Panthers in their Week 10 showdown, it will be worth buying into.
New Orleans will be without starters at center, right guard (technically) and right tackle in their battle for the top of the NFC South.
Starting center Erik McCoy is sidelined with a biceps injury and starting right tackle Taliese Fuaga has been ruled out with a knee sprain he suffered during practice.
The right guard position is also disrupted by the team moving starter Cesar Ruiz to center, but the move is a sensible one. The Fuaga injury, which occurred late in the week after the decision to move Ruiz, adds another layer of complication.
Neither McCoy’s nor Fuaga’s ailments are expected to be long-term; however, they’ll provide context for the team’s potential success this weekend.
If the Saints, who have often relied on Herculean performances late in games to get wins, can prove that the offense can instead power the team to a victory on the back of a strong game plan from head coach Kellen Moore, it will speak volumes of the club’s potential following its bye-week adjustments.
Doing so with nonstarters at three of the five offensive line positions would only bolster that claim.
Sunday’s game against Carolina is about much more than a one-week stronghold on the NFC South. It’s about proving that the necessary progress is being made from a game plan, system and scheme perspective and that such improvements are sustainable.
