There are a lot of things that can be criticized and questioned about the Saints' offense and a trio of lackluster performances and a scoreless second half in Green Bay.
That said, there's one area that's more puzzling than any other, as Bobby Hebert explained on SportsTalk this week.
Listen to the full breakdown from Bobby Hebert in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
"I feel bad now, because I told people to take Juwan Johnson in fantasy football, and now it’s the regular season and they’re not throwing him the ball," Hebert said.
He's certainly not alone in that assessment, with many predicting a continued breakout after leading the team in touchdowns in 2022. Through three games it's been anything but. The TE has caught just 7 passes for 61 yards. But the lack of production has been clear for the position on the whole. Foster Moreau has 2 catches for 20 yards and Jimmy Graham has just 1 catch on his lone target for 8 yards, though that did land in the endzone.
"We’ve got to get Juwan Johnson more involved. … That is the most puzzling thing that I witnessed in training camp from all the quarterbacks and how the tight ends were utilized," Hebert continued.
Of course, there are other reasons the tight ends have been a bit de-emphasized in the passing game, and it comes down to their other main responsibility: pass blocking. The OL has allowed 12 sacks through three weeks, and often the TEs are being asked to chip a rusher before getting into a route, if they aren't staying in to block entirely.
The high number of sacks has come even further under the microscope after Derek Carr went down with a shoulder injury in Week 3. He's questionable for Sunday's matchup with the Packers. Whether it's Carr or backup Jameis Winston throwing passes this week and beyond, the Cajun Cannon explains that they have a responsibility in that part of the game as well.
“I’ve been there, done that, and I’m telling you even if your offensive line if they’re not amongst the best in the league, a bunch of pro bowlers, you can help them, help their confidence by you getting the ball out," Hebert said. "A lot of times when they’re getting beat, how about you get rid of the ball? It might be an incomplete pass and they come back to the huddle and go ‘man, thanks for doing that.’ They’ll all be ecstatic because you covered their behind. And you know what? If you keep doing that, then they’ll fight for you forever.”
