New Orleans Saints: 5 offseason needs in 2020

1. Re-establish offensive balance

So did head coach Sean Payton outthink himself in the team’s 26-20 overtime playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings, at home no less? There seemed to be an absence of the ground game, which was somewhat perplexing considering the team they were facing had a mediocre run defense. Of course, Dennis Allen’s unit had some surprising issues against the Vikings’ ground attack. The league’s fourth-ranked unit against the run allowed Minnesota to run 40 times for 136 yards and control the clock for 36:56 of the 64:20 minutes of the game.

As for the Saints’ running game that day, there were 17 plays and just 97 yards. For the year, this was a club that averaged roughly four fewer running plays per contest during the regular season. And that’s one reason Payton’s club ranked 16th in the NFL in rushing offense in 2019 after totaling the sixth-most yards on the ground one season earlier. Then again, what proved to be a real issue against the Vikings was the fact that a team that had set an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season (eight) coughed up the ball twice that afternoon against the Purple Gang.

Then again, three-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara, who missed two games this past season, didn’t appear to be healthy down the stretch. Regardless, a balanced attack the last few years has been a huge key to the Saints’ revitalization. It’s something Payton and the team would be wise to lean on going forward.