May 10, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore during rookie minicamp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
As we continue to explore the changing fabric of the New Orleans Saints offense, there are some modern-day game tendencies that are expected to bring some positive result for the New Orleans Saints.
Last year, the Saints leaned heavily into the wide zone offense. While it worked to near-perfection to start the season, things quickly went south.
New head coach Kellen Moore will be bringing more innovative approaches to the team this year as well and will do so coming off of a Super Bowl-winning performance in Philadelphia.
One element that is sure to be present is the play action pass. That should work in the favor of the team’s young quarterback options, Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough.
Kellen Moore’s Play Action Usage (per PFF)
2024 Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts – 24.9% (110 drop backs)
2023 Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert – 25.2% (131)
2022 Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott – 27.2% (117)
2021 Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott – 26.1% (170)
2020 Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott – 27.9% (67)
2019 Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott – 25% (170)
At least a quarter of drop backs in Moore’s offenses included play action. In 2020, quarterback Andy Dalton saw 18.9 percent of his snaps include play action, but while Prescott was healthy and running the offense as it was installed in training camp, the number was higher.
Play Action Suits Saints’ Passers
This works in favor of both of the Saints’ young passers as well. Shough saw 44.1% (187) of his drop backs with play action at Louisville last year.
He completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 1,554 passing yards (8.8 per attempt), 12 passing touchdowns and just one interception in those concepts. He scored a 111.8 passer rating on those throws as well. Twenty-one of his completions were throwaways, showing a propensity to get the ball out and live for another down.
As for Rattler, he wasn’t asked to do it as much during his rookie year, likely because of the struggles of the run game mid- to late-season.
He saw just 17.9 percent of his passes with play action last year. He completed 56.4 percent of those attempts for a three touchdown passes and interceptions and a 79.3 passer rating. He piled up a 71 percent adjusted completion percentage when accounting for drops and throwaways as well.
During his collegiate years though, he was outstanding managing the play action concepts. In 2023, the then-South Carolina Gamecock saw 24 percent of his passes supported with run fakes. He completed a whopping 79.4 percent of those passes for seven touchdowns and a pair of interceptions while notching a 122.8 passer rating and 1,081 passing yards.
Both passers have shown a lot of promise managing and succeeded inside the play action game. That should equip Moore with the tools he needs to continue improving the Saints’ offensive attack.
