Drew Brees and company are sawing their way through NFL defenses.
The New Orleans Saints have been running roughshod through NFL defenses this season with arguably the most unstoppable offense in the NFL. Drew Brees is in line to receive his first ever MVP award, Alvin Kamara hasn’t experienced any sort of sophomore slump, and the Saints are scoring points at will.
The Chiefs and Ramsmay have played the best game ever on Monday night, but the Saints are the hottest team in the league right now. They’ve won 10 straight games, mainly through the use of their overwhelming offensive attack.
Anyone who watches the Saints can easily see they have a great offense, but it’s hard to see just how good they are with the naked eye. Here are six stats that show absurdly dominant the Saints offense is.
1. The Saints have given up sacks on just 2.9 percent of their dropbacks
New Orleans might have the best offensive line in the NFL. Ryan Ramcyzk and Terron Armstead are a rock solid duo at offensive tackle while Andrus Peat, Max Unger, and Larry Warford hold down the interior. That unit doesn’t allow rushers to get near Drew Brees and he’s rewarded them with a passing game that ranks first in adjusted net yards per attempt with a mark of 9.7. New Orleans has given up 11 sacks and has 363 attempts. The NFL average for sack percentage is 6.8 percent.
2. They’ve allowed a tackle for a loss on just 13.3 percent of their run plays
The Saints offensive line has been putting in work this season in the run game as well. Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram play a role in this as well, making guys miss in the backfield on the rare occasion that the Saints let someone through the line of scrimmage. The offensive line has allowed 13.3 percent of rushing attempts (excluding kneels) to end in a gain of zero or fewer yards. For what it’s worth, the NFL average is currently 18.8 percent.
3. Drew Brees has an interception percentage of just 0.6%
Drew Brees has thrown just two interceptions this year compared to 29 touchdowns, putting him on pace to finish the season with 42 touchdowns and three interceptions — easily the best touchdown to interception ratio of his career. His previous career best was 2011, when he threw 46 touchdowns to 14 interceptions.
Brees’ completion percentage is on pace to be a career high and an NFL record as well. Brees is completing 76.4 percent of his passes, which would break the 72 percent completion record he set last year.
Brees isn’t being uber-conservative with the ball either. He’s ranked fifth in the NFL with a yards per attempt of 8.8. He’s slinging the ball downfield with supreme accuracy.
4. New Orleans has converted 91.2 percent of its fourth downs
The Saints have converted 11 of 12 fourth-down conversions on the season, good for 91.2 percent and first in the NFL. The next closest team is the Kansas City Chiefs, who have converted six of their seven fourth down conversions, which is 85.7 percent. New Orleans’ 12 fourth down attempts is tied for fourth in the NFL with the Jaguars, Giants, and Bills.
5. The Saints have scored 19 rushing touchdowns
Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram have been a powerhouse duo at running back for New Orleans. The Saints as a team lead the league with 19 rushing touchdowns. Kamara and Ingram have combined for 15 touchdowns, Drew Brees has three, and quarterback/running back/return man/offensive weapon Taysom Hill has scored one.
6. New Orleans is averaging .605 points per play at home
The Saints have the best home offense in the NFL this season, averaging .605 points per play in the Superdome. The next closest team in terms of points per play at home is the Pittsburgh Steelers, averaging .558 points per play. New Orleans also leads the league in points per game, averaging an insane 37.2 points per game — right behind the record the Broncos set in 2013 with 37.9 points per game.