PFF: Saints' most concerning weakness falls right on Kellen Moore's plate

   

The New Orleans Saints have lots to discuss when it comes to their 2025 season, and one of the most notable issues is fixing their passing game as opposed to 2024. Having to play three different quarterbacks throughout that span of 17 games certainly did not help, but their pass-blocking was also one of the worst in the entire NFL. The offensive line was able to generate some push on runs, but when it came to protecting the passer, there was very little of it being done.

Losing Erik McCoy for a substantial part of the season and a learning curve for Taliese Fuaga at a new position certainly contributed as well. Now the Saints will be coming off a second straight first-round offensive tackle draft pick, so hopefully they will be able to find more success there. PFF analysts Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman also discussed this issue in a recent article, noting the passing offense as the team's biggest weakness in 2024:

"Doomed by an offensive line that ranked 31st in PFF pass-blocking grade, New Orleans couldn’t find much success through the air last season. When Derek Carr was healthy, they were at least a respectable unit. He appeared in only 10 games, though, and the passing game cratered when either Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener was at the helm. Further complicating things were injuries to top receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed."

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The good news is that the Saints have a new head coach, Kellen Moore, who specializes in both creating an effective passing offense scheme and finding ways to protect the quarterback by improving offensive linemen. Mekhi Becton thrived under Moore last season, and if he can manage to help the players currently on the Saints roster the same way, they could be in for an improved passing unit.