Saints offense accountability

Film sessions after practice are different this year.

New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak doesn’t let anything get by his players. Every detail matters. Every movement. Every foot placement. Every decision. And when even one thing is off or has room for even the slightest improvement, it will not be ignored. Adjustments will be made. This coaching staff will not tolerate repeated mistakes.

As one player said, the Saints are installing accountability alongside the base offense this year. Last year, players often talked about how they had to make their own corrections and hold each other accountable. Running back Alvin Kamara spoke openly about how the team let too much go last year under the previous staff.

So, yes, it is different.

“There’s a high attention to detail and a lot of accountability,” tight end Foster Moreau said. “We’re gonna do things the right way. We’re gonna do it one way. And if it doesn’t work that one way, we’re open to interpretation and suggestion, but that one way has worked for about 45 or 50 years now for the West Coast scheme. And we’re going to use it to our advantage.”

Members Only Podcast@KevinWashJr and @MikeTriplett rank the Saints’ players 25 and underhttps://t.co/xQCSMGXYrk— NOF (@nofnetwork) May 26, 2024

In interviews, Kubiak comes off as quiet and introverted. Almost guarded. It could be he just doesn’t see the need for laying everything out to the media. But coaches who were around him at his previous stops say his personality behind the scenes isn’t that far removed from the one that shows up on camera.

But then you hear Kubiak getting after the quarterbacks for their footwork. And you don’t have to listen hard to hear his voice getting after players for something that went wrong in a huddle. He might not spend a lot of words on things that aren’t important or relate to coaching, but Kubiak isn’t afraid to speak up and make sure he gets what he needs out of his people.

“He could be one of the quietest people in the room until that light turns on,” said quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, who worked with Kubiak in Minnesota. “He's kind of soft-spoken, but then when something hits him that he’s passionate about, you see that light turn on in his eyes. You see it two times. You see it here, and you see it when he’s with his kids.”

Kubiak surrounded himself with people who understand his system and what he demands. Along with Janocko, Kubiak hired offensive line coach John Benton, who served in the same role under Kubiak’s father, Gary, in Houston for seven seasons. Senior offensive assistant Rick Dennison was with Gary in Denver and Houston, and both Kubiaks in Minnesota.

Gary was even around at organized team activities, so his influence is felt even though he isn’t part of this staff. But even if Gary wasn’t here, his influence lives through his son, and people who know both of them can feel it.

“It’s shocking how similar they are,” Benton said. “They’re both very detail-oriented and demanding on the minutiae, which I certainly believe in. And both are very quality people. I know I believe in Klint — and Gary for the matter.”

The early exposure to this offensive system has brought energy to the locker room. The players are buzzing about how the pieces fit together. They can see the purpose behind everything.

Taysom Hill has spent much of his career bouncing from one meeting room to another. In previous seasons, he openly spoke about being unsure of what his role was going to be or how it was changing. This year, he knows exactly what he’s supposed to do and what is expected of him.

One of our Martin’s Questions of the Day!What role will the tight ends have in the Saints new offense?📺: https://t.co/7Q7g4DXbPe pic.twitter.com/szf9k5Yzqt— NOF (@nofnetwork) May 26, 2024

Quarterback Derek Carr understands his role and has a specific course of action for improving his footwork. Wide receiver A.T. Perry knows what he’s supposed to be doing to get to the next level.

The Saints employed some quality coaches on the last offensive staff, both at the top and in positional roles, but everything is clicking a little differently this year. And while it might just feel that way because it is all new, sometimes new is what is needed.

“It’s going all super positive,” Hill said. “I think Klint and his staff came in with a clear vision of what we’re going to do and that’s been really evident and positive. … There’s a lot of excitement in the locker room. I think the coaches came in here with a lot of excitement, and you feel that on the field.”

Buy-in is easy when you see and feel the structure. It also helps when the results speak for themselves. The Shanahan-Kubiak offense has been one of the most effective systems in the NFL since John Elway was winning Super Bowls. In recent years, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s version of his father’s offense has taken the league by storm. Klint has lineage traced back to Mike Shanahan and spent last year working under Kyle in San Francisco. His pedigree couldn’t be better.

Overtime: What would a Chris Olave extension look like?https://t.co/tYme9e2is2— NOF (@nofnetwork) May 25, 2024

Head coach Dennis Allen handpicked this system. When he sat down this offseason and started laying out what he wanted, this is what he had in mind. Most of the people he interviewed had ties to the Shanahan offense or the McVay offense, which also sprouted from the Shanahan tree but has taken on an identity of its own. The effectiveness of both styles of offense is evident, and coaches often hire the thing that gives them the most trouble.

Allen knows exactly how well these offenses work.

After he interviewed a few members of this coaching tree and got an even closer look under the hood — understanding how all the pieces fit together and the philosophy behind it — he became certain this was the right system. One player in the locker room this week said it wasn’t a hard sell for the team. It’s impossible to be around the game and not realize what this particular scheme is doing around the league.

“Klint’s offense – it is a symphony,” NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger said. “And when it all goes together, it’s almost unstoppable. … When the outside zone is working, the play-action fakes are going and the defense is responding and you’re not sure who has the ball. Is it the back? Is it the quarterback? Has it been given on a fly sweep? I mean, it is very, very tough on a defense.”

The Saints locker room knows what outsiders are saying about them. They know much of the NFL world expects them to be worse than last year and miss the playoffs once again.

🆕: Where does each Saints’ position group rank in the NFL?- Who are the under-the-radar guys?- What will the role of the tight ends be?- Will the Saints’ position swaps work out?📺: https://t.co/yoZUmXv7F9 pic.twitter.com/kkBg1wBscz— NOF (@nofnetwork) May 25, 2024

They also know they’re accountable for their results. That much is being instilled in them every day, but they say they aren’t looking to prove anyone wrong. They’re on a mission to prove themselves right for having confidence that all of this will work.