THE APEX TIMES
Head coach Kellen Moore says firing run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti and shifting run-game responsibilities in-house is meant to change the workflow that has left New Orleans inconsistent on the ground.
New Orleans made a targeted change to its run game on Monday, turning to an internal reorganization after the team’s rushing attack ranked 28th in the NFL at 86 yards per game.
Head coach Kellen Moore announced that run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti was fired over the weekend as the Saints returned from their bye and began preparing for Sunday’s game against Cleveland in the Caesars Superdome.
Moore said the decision was intended to improve the staff’s workflow coming out of the bye, while keeping some responsibilities in-house and making a series of adjustments to the weekly structure rather than a complete overhaul of the offensive identity.
As part of the new plan, Moore said offensive line coach Brendan Nugent will lead the run game structure during the week, while running backs coach Joel Thomas will continue contributing to situational run game scenarios.
Center Erik McCoy, in his eighth season, took responsibility for what he described as execution and communication issues across the blocking scheme and noted that any coordinator dismissal reflects poorly on the broader group’s performance.
The Saints have had stretches of production, including 148 rushing yards on 28 carries vs. the Raiders and 175 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries vs. the Giants, but those games have been surrounded by lower-output performances earlier in the season.
In addition to the run-game staff changes, Moore addressed the team’s injured reserve situation, saying several players are still to be determined for practice availability after work with the training staff, including rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring), running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring), and left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (ankle).