The New Orleans Saints have a lot of things to figure out on offense, particularly when it comes to scoring in the red zone.
The Saints are currently dead last in the NFL when it comes to red zone efficiency (33%), and as Deuce McAllister explained on WWL this week, there's a lot that has to be fixed. It starts with the players on the field.
Listen to the full interview with Deuce McAllister in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
"To say it’s frustrating, that would be an understatement," McAllister told Bobby Hebert and Mike Detillier this week on SportsTalk. "They’ve got to play better. I know the gripe is OC, OC, OC, that’s a part of it, but at the end of the day, when do the players have to take some responsibility as well? At some point it’s got to be on the players as well, and so I’m hoping they can get it together and I’m hoping that it’s a snowball effect."
The low offensive output has been a major talking point for the Saints, and it's coincided with an injury to starting quarterback Derek Carr's throwing shoulder. The Saints have scored 16, 20, 17 and 9 points, respectively in their first four weeks, and a stout defense has allowed two of those games to end with victories.
New Orleans turns to face a Patriots team that has had its own share of offensive difficulties, coming off a 38-3 beatdown at the hands of the Cowboys. The good news for the Saints is star RB Alvin Kamara got back on the field in a Week 4 loss to the Bucs, and he'll continue to be a huge part of the gameplan along with pass-catchers Michael Thomas and Chris Olave, the latter of whom was held to just 1 catch for 4 yards in last week's loss at the Superdome.
Related
“Your stars have to be stars," McAllister said. "You’ve got to put them in position to be able go out there and be a star. You’ve got to get them the football, whether that’s via the pass, whether that’s via the run, but I mean, they are the star for a reason, and so they’ve got to be stars, they’ve got to make plays for you.”
The Saints (2-2) and Patriots (1-3) face off at noon Sunday in Foxborough.
MORE FROM DEUCE
On Trevor Penning's development
“It’s been night and day for him and that was probably the biggest thing, he needed reps. He needed not only game reps, but he needed practice reps. And so to be able to get that and look ... the Saints have helped him with formations and just giving him chips and things of that nature. But he’s got in his bag a couple of ways that he wants to attack a defender, just based off of down and distance and knowing what he’s going to get and knowing what to expect, and he’s been able to really do a good job and so, I know the offensive line has been an issue as far as the numbers and the sacks, et cetera. But for Trevor, compared to the first two games, to where he’s at now, it’s night and day. And look, he still has to get better. He still can play better. He can be more dominant, you know, just more confident in what he’s doing. But I know they’ve been encouraged to the progress that he’s been able to make so far.”
Related
On the secondary
“You’ve been able to start really hot with some of the interceptions, and I know that Isaac [Yiadom] had one the other game, but I mean, if you can continue to pick off a pass or two each game ... at some point that’s got to turn into points, because you can’t expect the defense to continue to go out there and produce at those levels. It’s phenomenal of them to get their hands on the football, I’d love for some of those passes defended to continue to pop up in the air, we pick them off, or they just pick them off clean without having to even pop up in the air.”
On Taysom Hill's usage
“You just have to watch how many touches that you do give to him, and that’s because if you overuse him, when you start to get in the double-digits, Bobby, then is he gonna be available for the full 17. … That’s where I know the thought process is, being he’s physical. The issue that Taysom has is Taysom doesn’t like to go down. Taysom doesn’t like to slide, and every run for him, he finishes. Very rarely will Taysom go out of bounds and say, ‘all right, I’ve got enough’ or just say ‘OK, I got the first down, I’m going to get my shoulder pads down and I’m gonna go down.’ Taysom finishes runs, and so now if all 15 of his carries are like that, I don’t know if you’re have Taysom come November, and that’s just being honest."