By Ross Jackson
A new offensive mind is taking the reins for the New Orleans Saints for the first time since 2006. With new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak now installing and calling the shots, there are some key and wide-ranging changes to expect.
This five-part series will lay out some of the core new elements to expect to see from the Saints’ offense in 2024. Today’s installment dives into an area of the game that should greatly benefit starting quarterback Derek Carr.
More play action
Think back to some of the most electrifying moments in the Saints’ offensive heyday. Chances are, that downfield bomb to wide receiver Marques Colston or strike up the seam to Jimmy Graham may have included a little play action from future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. This one should not be foreign to Saints fans.
While play action took a dip for the Saints in 2022, it was relied on more heavily toward near the end of the 2023 season. At which time, Carr went on to play his best football in the black and gold. Therefore, it is no surprise that the team is looking to emphasize it further in their offense this year. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had just six more play action attempts (93) than Carr (87) in 2023. But expect the gap in that number to widen significantly.
When Kubiak was the play caller for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021, signal caller Kirk Cousins racked up 113 attempts on play action drop backs. The Vikings ranked No. 22 in play action attempts that year with 117 in total, per Pro Football Reference. That might feel like nothing to write home about, but 117 attempts would have ranked No. 11 in the league last year. The Saints ranked No. 21.
In watching training camp out in Irvine, Calif. this offseason, it is easy to see the emphasis on this area of the game. It feels like the Saints are deploying play action on more drop backs than not. Add in the variety of play action reps, straight drop backs, bootlegs, rollouts and more, and the Saints offense is set to look completely different than their recent years. Play action will play a large part in those differences, and the team’s success. Especially if they are able to field a more effective running game this season in order to support it.
