Tag: Patrick Omameh

Saints snap counts analysis: Vonn Bell logged 104 plays vs. Falcons

By playing both defense and special teams, New Orleans Saints safety Vonn Bell saw his snap count climb to 104 against the Atlanta Falcons.

This year’s NFC South division championship belongs to the New Orleans Saints, just as it did last year, and the year before that. The Saints still haven’t played a complete game with penalty-free, clean execution in all three phases, but they’re still 10-2 and have clinched a playoff berth in November. They have time to improve before the postseason kicks off.

Snap counts got weird in this game, particularly on defense. They ran a season-high 93 plays when Atlanta had the ball, which is a huge disparity against the 50 plays the Saints ran on offense. When the Saints go 2-for-10 on third down while the Falcons go 6-for-16 (and get helped out by a number of dubious penalties against the Saints defense), that’s going to happen. Here’s our snap count analysis:

Offensive backfield

  • QB Drew Brees, 48 (96%)
  • RB Alvin Kamara, 41 (82%)
  • QB Taysom Hill, 13 (26%)
  • RB Latavius Murray, 13 (26%)
  • FS Marcus Williams, 1 (2%)

Hill didn’t see a huge jump in playing-time on offense (he’s averaged 11.4 snaps per game this year) but this game was easily his biggest day of the year so far. He scored both of the Saints’ two touchdowns (one through the air, another on the ground) and consistently gave the team a spark when they needed it on critical downs.

Skills positions

  • WR Michael Thomas, 40 (80%)
  • WR Tre’Quan Smith, 37 (74%)
  • TE Josh Hill, 29 (58%)
  • TE Jared Cook, 29 (58%)
  • WR Ted Ginn Jr., 27 (54%)
  • WR Krishawn Hogan, 11 (22%)
  • TE Jason Vander Laan, 5 (10%)

Smith ran a lot of routes but didn’t get open often against Atlanta, catching two targets for 14 yards. Cook was frustratingly inconsistent. The veteran tight end has clear playmaking ability — just look at his latest 40-yard catch-and-run — but he’s dropped three would-be touchdown passes in the last two weeks, and went 3-for-6 as a receiver on Thursday. At least Brees is still giving him chances to make an impact.

Offensive line

  • C Erik McCoy, 50 (100%)
  • T/G Patrick Omameh, 50 (100%)
  • G Larry Warford, 50 (100%)
  • T Ryan Ramczyk, 50 (100%)
  • G Nick Easton, 50 (100%)
  • G/C Will Clapp, 6 (12%)

New Orleans had to start two new faces at left tackle (Omameh) and left guard (Easton), and they both responded well when called up. The Saints gave up six sacks in their last game with the Falcons but rebounded to keep Brees clean and upright in this meeting. Their success in a pinch was a huge reason for the Saints’ success.

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Saints starting Patrick Omameh at left tackle in relief of Terron Armstead

The New Orleans Saints went with veteran NFL guard Patrick Omameh to start at left tackle in relief of injured All-Pro Terron Armstead.

The New Orleans Saints had a tough decision to make at left tackle, with injured starter Terron Armstead inactive after suffering a high-ankle sprain a week ago. His top backup, left guard Andrus Peat, was also inactive after having his broken arm surgically repaired a few weeks ago (veteran backup Nick Easton will get his third start in Peat’s place). The Atlanta Falcons sacked Saints quarterback Drew Brees six times in their first meeting with Armstead and Peat both in the lineup, so the Saints obviously hope to turn in a better performance despite having to start multiple backups.

New Orleans had two options available between veteran guard Patrick Omameh and undrafted rookie Ethan Greenidge; facing that decision, the Saints went with the player who has the most NFL experience. Omameh has started full seasons in the NFL for several different teams at both left and right guard, but this game will be his first long-exposure look at left tackle.

Greenidge is active for the first time this year, and he figures to get on the field occasionally as a top reserve along with backup guard/center Will Clapp. Greenidge started 40-plus games in college at Villanova, largely at left tackle, so he does offer some experience in that role even if it’s been limited to the college game.

If worst comes to worst and the Falcons defensive front overruns all options (or, knock on wood, another injury strikes) the Saints can always call on all-star right tackle Ryan Ramczyk to flip back to his college position on the left side. But doing so would require someone else to step into Ramczyk’s spot, which would only introduce new problems and more instability across the board. It’s why the Saints gave Omameh the start and activated Greenidge. Here’s hoping the Saints can have this game well in hand soon enough that they don’t have to consider it.

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Saints snap counts vs. Panthers: Defense runs 76 plays too many

The New Orleans Saints defense logged 76 snaps against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12, tying for their second-most of the 2019 season.

The New Orleans Saints were lucky to escape their Week 12 game against the Carolina Panthers with a win, thanks to some awful kicking by Carolina and a number of sloppy Saints penalties. There are some questions that need answering when reviewing the week’s snap counts, so let’s get to it.

Offensive backfield

  • QB Drew Brees, 65 (98%)
  • RB Alvin Kamara, 44 (67%)
  • RB Latavius Murray, 26 (39%)
  • QB Taysom Hill, 7 (11%)

On the surface, Murray’s snap count is unremarkable. He’s averaged 28.5 snaps per game this year, but the Saints didn’t give him enough touches compared to his time on the field. He received just seven carries but averaged more than nine yards per attempt on them, even scoring the game’s opening touchdown run. For whatever reason, Saints coach Sean Payton was determined to remain pass-heavy down the stretch and put Kamara in some tough spots in short-yardage situations. Hill’s seven snaps on offense were his fewest total since Week 4’s game with the Dallas Cowboys, when he came in on just six plays. It’s possible that the absence of fullback Zach Line (knee injury) and the exit of left tackle Terron Armstead (high-ankle sprain) forced Payton’s hand into a pass-heavy game script.

Skills positions

  • WR Michael Thomas, 58 (88%)
  • WR Tre’Quan Smith, 47 (71%)
  • WR Ted Ginn Jr., 39 (59%)
  • TE Jared Cook, 38 (58%)
  • TE Josh Hill, 31 (47%)
  • TE Jason Vander Laan, 16 (24%)
  • WR Krishawn Hogan, 15 (23%)

Vander Laan was called up from the practice squad and featured on the opening drive as an in-line blocker at tight end, throwing the key block that freed up Murray’s long touchdown run. But the Saints sidelined him as the game wore on and their offense evolved into a pass-first approach, which was puzzling. It’s even more troubling considering Smith and Ginn were targeted eight times but turned in just three targets for 51 yards, with each player dropping passes that should have been big gains. The Saints need better personnel at wide receiver, but they may be too deep in the season to find it now.

Offensive line

  • C Erik McCoy, 66 (100%)
  • G Larry Warford, 66 (100%)
  • G Nick Easton, 66 (100%)
  • T Ryan Ramczyk, 66 (100%)
  • G/T Patrick Omameh, 56 (85%)
  • G/C Will Clapp, 10 (15%)
  • T Terron Armstead, 10 (15%)

Credit to Omameh for stepping in early and holding his own at an unfamiliar position; he’s started full seasons during his six-year NFL career, but rarely played left tackle — his previous stops came at left and right guard. Whether the Saints will trust him to hold it down full-time until Armstead can return from his ankle injury remains to be seen. Clapp filled in for Andrus Peat at left guard in a pinch but the Saints went with Easton as his full-time replacement, and it’s worked out so far. McCoy had some rookie mistakes (failing to snap the ball on time at one point, drawing a delay of game penalty) but on the whole he’s made a big, positive impact.

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Poll: Who should the Saints call on to replace Terron Armstead at left tackle?

The New Orleans Saints don’t lack for options to fill in for injured left tackle Terron Armstead, who is sidelined by a high-ankle sprain.

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How will the New Orleans Saints adjust to life without starting left tackle Terron Armstead? NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Armstead is out for Thursday night’s game with the Atlanta Falcons after suffering a high-ankle sprain on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, and his recovery is expected to progress on a week-to-week basis. So the Saints could be without him a while longer, which is bad news considering the San Francisco 49ers will visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in two weeks.

Fortunately, the Saints don’t lack for options to step in for Armstead. They just aren’t the preferred options. In the past, their go-to move was shifting left guard Andrus Peat over to left tackle (his college position) in Armstead’s absence. But Peat is in the middle of a six-week recovery from surgery on his broken arm, with his own backup (veteran guard Nick Easton) running in his place.

When Armstead exited Sunday’s game with the Panthers, journeyman Patrick Omameh was the initial choice. Omameh has played six years in the NFL for teams including Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Giants, starting full seasons at both left and right guard. That experience made him an easy choice for the Saints to name as their top backup, which is the role he’s filled this season. But he’s never played left tackle for more than a handful of snaps (as he did on Sunday in a pinch), so the Saints could look elsewhere.

It’s the same strategy they took in replacing Peat. Second-year pro Will Clapp was the preferred reserve ahead of Easton in all nine games before he was activated, but the Saints didn’t hesitate to name Easton the starter in Peat’s place ahead of Clapp thanks to his extensive experience at the position.

And there may not be a more-seasoned true left tackle on the team than Ethan Greenidge, a rookie out of Villanova. Greenidge’s collegiate career began with nine starts at left tackle as a true freshman, and he held onto the spot for 43 games (barring three appearances at right tackle as a senior). While Omameh has spent more time playing against pros in the NFL, he hasn’t done it at left tackle, which is where Greenidge might have an edge. Greenidge has been a healthy scratch in all 11 games this year, but much like Easton, could be ready for his call-up.

There’s always the possibility that the Saints flip star right tackle Ryan Ramczyk to the left side. They did just that early during his rookie year, putting Ramczyk at left tackle (where he lined up in college) with longtime right tackle Zach Strief in his accustomed spot, while Armstead was working his way back from an injury. Strief went down with his own injury and forced New Orleans to put Ramczyk at right tackle ahead of schedule, but it worked out well for them.

However, asking Ramczyk to swap sides this late in the season (and for maybe as few as two or three weeks) could do more harm than good. It would require someone else stepping into the lineup on the right side, forcing veteran right guard Larry Warford to work quickly to establish communication with a new face.

One injury to Armstead shouldn’t impact multiple starting spots like that, so the Saints may need to keep a narrow focus on Omameh, Greenidge, and maybe their practice squad candidates — rookies such as Tulane’s John Leglue (who has started college games at all five positions) and Florida State’s Derrick Kelly (who the Saints tried out at right tackle during their preseason games).

For a refresher, here’s what the Saints depth chart looks like at tackle, based off the official team roster and where players have lined up this year:

  1. LT Terron Armstead (injured)
  2. RT Ryan Ramczyk
  3. LG/LT Andrus Peat (injured)
  4. LG/LT Patrick Omameh
  5. LT Ethan Greenidge (inactive in 11 games)
  6. OL John Leglue (practice squad)
  7. RT Derrick Kelly (practice squad)

Who do you think should start in Armstead’s place? Vote in the poll below and make your voice heard.

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Terron Armstead week-to-week after high-ankle sprain vs. Panthers

The New Orleans Saints lost starting left tackle Terron Armstead with a high-ankle sprain against the Carolina Panthers, sidelining him.

The New Orleans Saints lost starting left tackle Terron Armstead during Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers to a high-ankle sprain, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning. Armstead is managing his injury on a week-to-week basis and is already ruled out for Thursday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. High-ankle sprains can sideline players for as long as a month, though it’s not uncommon for them to return sooner.

It’s obviously a huge loss for the Saints offensive line. The step down from Armstead to his backup, Patrick Omameh, is as wide a gulf as there can be found in the NFL — when healthy, Armstead is an All-Pro talent and one of the best left tackles in the game. Omameh is a journeyman with more NFL experience at both left and right guard than left tackle. The Saints also have an option in rookie left tackle Ethan Greenidge, an undrafted free agent out of Villanova who has been a healthy inactive all year.

This injury compounds a bigger issue for the Saints offensive line, which is the absence of starting left guard Andrus Peat. Peat is expected to miss about four more weeks after having his broken arm surgically repaired. He’s normally the top option to fill in for Armstead at left tackle, but he’s off the table and replaced by backup left guard Nick Easton.

Hopefully things stabilize for the Saints soon, but for now, it appears they’re going into the late-season stretch with both their starting left tackle and left guard sidelined by injuries. Their next opponent is the Atlanta Falcons, who sacked quarterback Drew Brees six times just a few weeks ago, when both Armstead and Peat were in the lineup. New Orleans has to make some quick adjustments on the fly.

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Terron Armstead injured, questionable to return vs. Panthers

New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead injured his ankle and is questionable to return to play versus the Carolina Panthers.

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The New Orleans Saints offensive line took another hit early against the Carolina Panthers, with left tackle Terron Armstead injured his ankle during the first quarter. Armstead walked off the field slowly under his own power before riding a medical staff cart into the locker room. An announcement from the team updated his status as questionable to return to the game.

In his place, the Saints called up veteran  backup Patrick Omameh, who has spent most of his time in the NFL at left or right guard. The Saints were already starting a backup next to Armstead in Nick Easton, who was filling in for injured starter Andrus Peat. Ironically, Peat is normally the go-to option to replace Armstead, but he’s going to be out about four more weeks after breaking his arm against the Atlanta Falcons.

This injury to Armstead has been one of the few problem areas on offense for the Saints against Carolina. They have otherwise avoided mistakes and converted on tough downs, ending two of their first three drives with touchdown scores (including a 26-yard run by Latavius Murray and a 13-yard pass to Tre’Quan Smith). That third drive ended with a punt, which the Saints were fortunate to recover.

Armstead’s status is officially questionable to return, so he hasn’t been ruled out entirely. Stay tuned for an update to his situation.

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