Saints’ biggest problem to fix during 2026 bye week

The New Orleans Saints desperately need a reset. Their upcoming Week 8 bye arrives at the perfect time. At 2-5, they have shown flashes of offensive potential but have struggled to put together four complete quarters. The defense has its own problems. Injuries have also complicated the coaching staff's plans. One issue stands above the rest. though, is that New Orleans cannot run the football consistently. For head coach Kellen Moore, fixing the ground game must become the priority during this extended break.

Finding an identity

The Saints opened the season with a narrow loss to Detroit before producing an impressive road upset over Baltimore in Week 2. That early promise quickly faded, however. New Orleans lost consecutive home games to Las Vegas and Atlanta. A loss to Minnesota followed before the Saints finally rediscovered some offensive rhythm in a road victory over the New York Giants. Their trip to Paris ended with another setback, a defeat to Pittsburgh that dropped them to 2-5.

In that latest loss, New Orleans managed just 18 rushing yards on 17 attempts against the Steelers. Through seven games, the Saints have averaged only 3.5 yards per carry as a team. That really makes it difficult to establish balance or consistently put opposing defenses on their heels.

Crippling ground attack inefficiency

The Saints' rushing offense is the biggest problem Moore must address during the bye week. New Orleans has struggled to create movement at the line of scrimmage, leaving its running backs to fight for every available yard. Alvin Kamara has averaged just 3.0 yards per carry. Kendre Miller has managed only 2.8. The team just has not established a dependable rushing identity.

Those numbers are especially concerning because Moore's offensive system depends on creating uncertainty. A credible ground attack forces linebackers to respect play-action and gives the offense a way to control the tempo. Without it, New Orleans becomes predictable.

The Paris performance was the clearest warning yet. Kamara gained only five yards on six carries. Miller managed six yards on eight attempts. The Saints had no rushing touchdown and repeatedly found themselves in unfavorable down-and-distance situations.

Moore cannot simply keep asking his running backs to manufacture production behind inconsistent blocking. The coaching staff must find ways to create more favorable angles at the point of attack. Whether that means simplifying the blocking scheme, using more motion, or incorporating additional gap runs, something has to change.

Tyler Shough needs more support

The consequences of New Orleans' rushing struggles extend directly to Tyler Shough. The quarterback has completed 183 of 273 passes for 1,721 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions through seven games. Those are respectable numbers for a young offense still finding its identity. Still, the lack of a dependable ground game puts too much responsibility on his shoulders.

When defenses do not have to worry about the run, they can devote more resources to disrupting the passing attack. That makes life harder for Shough. It also places greater pressure on Chris Olave. He has been New Orleans' most productive receiver with 49 catches for 636 yards.

Olave has done his part, but the Saints cannot expect him to carry them every week. They need to make defenses account for other weapons. Those include Devaughn Vele, Juwan Johnson, and Noah Fant. A more effective rushing attack would create opportunities for those players by forcing defenders to respect the possibility of a handoff. The bye week should be about building an offense that supports Shough rather than continually asking him to rescue it.

Rebuilding the trench

The Saints have a valuable opportunity to make meaningful adjustments before returning to action against the Cleveland Browns on November 8. Moore and his offensive staff should use the break to reassess their blocking assignments and improve communication along the offensive line.

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Getting the most out of the available backfield personnel must also be a priority. Kamara remains a valuable receiving threat. Miller needs more room to operate. Etienne's involvement should be evaluated according to his health and availability. Simply adding more carries will not solve the problem if the blocking remains inconsistent.

The Browns present a challenging opportunity to test those adjustments. New Orleans cannot afford another afternoon of predictable runs and obvious passing situations. The offense needs to establish the line of scrimmage early. They must sustain drives and keep their defense from spending extended stretches on the field.

Produce real answers

New Orleans has more than one issue to fix. However, the rushing attack is the foundation of everything else. Improving it would take pressure off Shough and give the defense some much-needed help through better time-of-possession management.

The Saints are not going to transform their season in one week. They can, however, begin correcting the structural problems that have made their offense so difficult to trust. If Moore cannot find a way to make this ground game functional during the bye, the second half of 2026 could become another long exercise in frustration for the Who Dat faithful.