The early returns were encouraging for the New Orleans Saints' post-bye week run game, and the previous week's changes brought some welcome improvement.
The Saints, 3-5 entering Sunday's game against Carolina (3-5) in the Caesars Superdome, were averaging 86 rushing yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry entering the bye week, fresh off a 17-carry, 18-yard performance against Pittsburgh in Paris.
After a couple of major changes in the run game during the bye — run game coordinator TJ Paganetti was fired, leading rusher Kendre Miller was released and New Orleans strategically mixed in guard William Sherman to the offense as a tackle eligible — the Saints gained 160 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries in the 23-22, overtime win over Cleveland. Even with quarterback Tyler Shough's production (10 carries, 51 yards) subtracted from the equation, New Orleans totaled a healthy 109 yards on 22 carries.
Audric Estimé (15 carries for 72 yards) led the way, five days after rejoining the team. He was placed on injured reserve Sept. 12, waived with an injury settlement Sept. 22, added to the Vikings' practice squad Sept. 30, signed by Cleveland off the Vikings practice squad Oct. 13, waived by the Browns on Nov. 2 and claimed off waivers by the Saints the next day.
"It was a big emphasis," tight end Juwan Johnson said. "I think that's something that we've lacked, and sometimes I feel like if you lack something, you kind of go a different direction. But that's not what we did. We pressed on because we knew — we worked hard on it the whole offseason, so just knowing that we worked hard on it, just knowing that we have the ability to do those things, I think bringing Audric back was a big key point to that.
"I feel like he's a talented back. Bringing some familiar faces back, getting them in there, getting them ready — it wasn't anything that really was too complicated, he already knew the offense — he did a really good job. And I think the offensive line, tight ends and even receivers did a really good job."
Estimé said his return felt like a Disney movie; he scored on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter to give New Orleans a 16-13 lead.
"Tyler actually checked to the call," Estimé said. "I wasn't even supposed to be the original call. He checked it, and as soon as he checked it I went, 'No matter what I'm getting in here.' Like, there could be three people in the backfield, I'm getting in the end zone.
"Really just trusting the execution and trusting our game plan. Coach Kellen (Moore) and our offensive staff created a game plan for us, and I said throughout the week that we were hungry for a win. It showed throughout practice...but it's what you do on the field on Sunday and I feel like we didn't waver. We had a couple of steps back, but no matter what, we got up and played the next play. I came here for a reason, I'm as hungry as I've ever been."
Moore said Estimé, who was with the Saints this offseason and spent seven games with the Saints last year, when he ran for 198 yards and a touchdown on 46 carries and caught 12 passes for 103 yards, easily reacclimated to the offense.
"We just brought him in, and thought he had a couple of really physical runs on Wednesday's practice to kind of set the tone. Seemed like he knew every single assignment," Moore said. "He was dialed and it became a no-brainer to me that, 'All right, let's roll, let's get him ready to go.' I thought his juice and physicality was real."
The post-bye adjustments were just as real.
"Had a few different things (in the run game) that we were just adjusting, so putting Will in, I thought, gave us something there," Moore said. "Put him in and I thought Aud ran really hard, I thought Alvin (Kamara, 32 yards on six carries) had some really good runs in there as well. Timely runs, especially late in the game, I thought he did an excellent job of getting some dirty runs there.
"I thought our guys played a physical brand of football. We've got to sustain that."
The first chance of sustaining is Sunday against Carolina, which enters with the fifth-worst run defense in the league at 133.4 yards per game allowed on 4.6 yards per carry.
