Strength in Numbers: Actionable Week 7 Stats

We’re going to get a lot of stuff wrong, but sifting through usage metrics can help us work through what matters and what doesn’t. That’s the goal of this article: to break down the most actionable takeaways from each week in a concise, numbers-filled format and work through what’s important. Let’s get right to it:

1. Foster Moreau ran 25 routes on 48 Saints dropbacks — his highest route rate of the season, even including the first two games when he was playing as much as/ahead of Juwan Johnson. This is also notable considering the Saints were trailing the entire game, and we usually see more 2-TE sets when teams are ahead. Of course, this usage makes sense considering both Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed were out. Olave likely returns next week, but perhaps Shaheed’s season-ending injury paves the way for the Saints to use 2-TE as their base. At WR, Bub Means (44 routes) filled in Olave’s role as he did in Week 5, while Mason Tipton (43) operated as the primary field stretcher. Cedrick Wilson was the WR3.

2. Kendre Miller had six carries to Jamaal Williams‘ three, though four of those carries came when the Saints trailed 33-3. Jordan Mims played ahead of Williams in Week 6, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kendre overtake him soon, assuming Dennis Allen doesn’t decide to randomly make him inactive.

3. Courtland Sutton ran 31 routes on 33 Bo Nix dropbacks but somehow failed to record a target, demonstrating the lack of floor he has on this poor Denver offense. Troy Franklin was second in routes but only ran 22, while Devaughn Vele (19), Lil’Jordan Humphrey (12), and even Marvin Mims (10) were clustered as the WR3-5. Vele and Franklin both ran a route on 64% or higher of dropbacks in Week 6, but it was a more even rotation this week.