NFC South: Biggest question for each team in 2020
New Orleans Saints: Can Sean Payton re-establish some balance on offense?
Here’s a quick look back on how Sean Payton’s team turned the corner after a dismal stretch. From 2014-16, the New Orleans Saints finish 7-9 in each of those three seasons. The club then got off to a 0-2 start in 2017. But things would be different from there on in as the team from the Big Easy is a combined 37-9 in its last 46 regular-season outings.
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The key has been a balanced offense and an improving defense. The ground game became more of a focal point with the 1-2 punch of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara and prolific Drew Brees no longer needed to throw for 5,000-plus yards.
The Saints finished 11-5 and won the first of what is three straight NFC South titles. Payton’s squad was fifth in the NFL in rushing and fifth in the league in passing and scored 23 touchdowns both on the ground and through the air. In 2018, New Orleans finished sixth in the NFL in rushing.
But this past year, with newcomer Latavius Murray replacing Ingram, the Saints slipped to 16th in the league in rushing. And it turns out, Kamara wasn’t exactly healthy (Mike Triplett of ESPN) and finished with 1,330 yards from scrimmage and six TDs.
The team features one of the NFL’s best offensive lines and with Kamara at 100 percent, look for this club to get back to what has been a true catalyst for this strong run (literally) but the franchise.