Saints’ improved run game could unlock play action offense

By Ross Jackson

While there’s a lot of optimism about the New Orleans Saints’ trajectory going into the 2026 regular season, there are also some obvious growth areas the team is looking to take the opportunity to address with an aggressive offseason.

One of the biggest elements of the game the Saints have invested in this spring is the run game. Signing free agent guard David Edwards and free agent running back and Louisiana native Travis Etienne Jr. are two moves that are likely to bring about some notable improvements.

Those elevations are expected to be seen in the team’s rushing total after finishing last year ranked No. 28 in total rushing yards gained and No. 31 in yards per attempt. The Saints were also in the bottom-10 of total rushes attempted due to game situations, which clearly contributed to lower volume of overall ground yards. But in 2026, the team’s hope is to be much more productive both from a totals and per-rush standpoint.

In addition to seeing value on the ground, an improved rushing game could open the door for another area the Saints didn’t get much opportunity to lean into at all during the 2025 season: play action.

Play action is a helpful tool for offenses who want to create hesitation in opposing defenses. It also buys some additional time for the quarterback to read the field. 

Despite that, New Orleans didn’t get much opportunity to amplify this area because of the combination of low rushing attempt numbers, production and game situations. Play action doesn’t tend to have an impact late in games when trailing, much like on third downs.

During quarterback Tyler Shough’s starts, he attempted just 48 play action passes. That averaged out to just 4.36 play action attempts per game over his 11 game appearances, No. 44 out of 58 qualifying quarterbacks (minimum 40 play action passing attempts). 

With a more efficient rushing game, another layer of the Saints’ passing attack, led by a promising arm, could begin to take shape.