Saints strongest asset in 2025 may be its running game
06/02/2025
By Ross Jackson
The building process for the New Orleans Saints may have only just begun, but it isn’t hard to pick out their strongest asset going into the 2025 season.
There are a lot of unknowns, but one thing we can rest assured about is that new head coach Kellen Moore loves to run the football.
The Saints were already a top-15 rushing yards offense before Moore arrived. Now, with a less predictable rushing attack, measures taken to improve the offensive line, and new talent in the backfield, it seems certain that the team’s strongest area will be its rushing attack this year.
System Change Emphasizes The Run
While he had the great benefit of a mobile quarterback like Jalen Hurts while with the Philadelphia Eagles, Moore’s system is very run game friendly. Even before inheriting an all-world rusher like Saquon Barkley, Moore put together high-ranking rushing attacks while with the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, he gets to bring that success to New Orleans, which is set to have a young passer take the helm this season. With a less experienced signal caller, the run game will be important to keep everything manageable and keep the Saints from putting too much on a rookie or second-year passer’s shoulders right away.
Moore doesn’t have a phrase or moniker for his run scheme, though he does seem to have some favorite plays. It isn’t a wide zone offense, smash mouth, or ground and pound, but instead it’s a little bit of everything. That makes it challenging to predict by opposing defenses and keeps the offense looking for weaknesses to attack.
Common Sense Approach
When those weaknesses are identified, expect the Saints to attack them. If one team struggles to defend on the outside because of a lack of speed or range, that’s what Moore will ask the offense to do. The very next week, if a team has had trouble stopping the run between the tackles, expect the Saints to attack with the inside run game.
Run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti highlighted that the team will also be more focused on calling plays that put the player personnel in position to do what they do well. If there’s something an opposing defense struggles to stop, but the Saints offense struggles to find success doing, don’t expect them to overdo it.
It’s a simple approach, but an effective one. Do what works and pivot when something doesn’t.
Personnel Built To Succeed
The Saints may not have Barkley at running back, but it is tough not to get excited about what Moore will be able to do with running back Alvin Kamara.
The 2017 offensive Rookie of the Year set a career-high in rushing yards last season (950), despite appearing in just 14 of 17 possible games. He was well on his way to his first career 1,000-yard rushing season and, even before this year begins, should be considered a threat to finally break the 1,000-yard mark.
He will also continue to be a major factor in the passing game.
The Saints also added Kansas running back Devin Neal in the draft, who looks ready-made for Moore’s system. Meanwhile, third-year back Kendre Miller may finally be in an NFL system that supports his best abilities rushing between the tackles and forcing missed tackles for breakaway runs. His TCU tape is littered with examples of this, but he was a part of a rushing offense last season that ran outside the tackles more than any other NFL team (69.8%).
Not enough people talking about TCU HB Kendre Miller pic.twitter.com/gFfKSPbGtm
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) February 10, 2023
The Saints have also invested even more into their offensive line. After numerous free agent additions to help bolster their depth, the team also drafted tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. with the No. 9 overall selection of this year’s draft. Upon returning to the field for rookie minicamps and OTAs, the team also moved last year’s starting right tackle Trevor Penning to left guard, which may be a great way to take advantage of his aggression and physicality in the run game.
No NFL running back is going to be upset about running behind Penning as their lead blocker.