re: New Orleans Saints moving towards more conservative offense?

A successful run game is everything for our offense. Just look at 2009 and 2011, our season rushing total as a team was over 2000 yards both times and we were dominate. In fact, in 2011 the ONLY 4 losses we had were the only games we failed to rush for 100 yards. (Atlanta was the one exception that we won).

2008, 10, 12, 13, respectively were all under 1600 yards. There's obviously a pattern - defenses aside. You can throw out 12 because Payton didn't coach. Our YPC were 4.0 or lower in each other season. 09 & 11 we were 4.5 & 4.9 .

We are so dominate at home because our passing game relies so heavily on perfect timing and consistency. And playing in perfect 70 degree weather with no wind or crowd problems makes it easy. Take those perfect conditions away, especially with outside road games, and you have to be able to run, as the elements will have impacts on your ability to be perfect. You have to be balanced in order to have greater unpredictability to allow greater room for error in the passing game.........