Khalen Saunders on defending the Saints' new offense: 'I hate it'

When asked how he felt about trying to stop the run against the new offensive system, Khalen Saunders bluntly replied that, “I hate it.”

When the New Orleans Saints hired Klint Kubiak this offseason, it was viewed as major addition because it brings a modern offense to New Orleans. Kubiak’s system is derived from the same roots as Kyle Shanahan’s wildly successful San Francisco 49ers system, which relies more heavily on pre-snap movement and misdirection during the play than Sean Payton’s playbook.

It tries to trick opposing defenses through continuously setting and breaking tendencies to keep opponents from ever getting a gauge on what’s coming next. Saunders’ words reflect how defenders feel about playing against that style of offense.

“It’s good that I hate it,” Saunders elaborated. “I’m not going against it, the other 31 teams are.” He then highlighted how the offense changes the quarterback’s launch spot and keeps him from being a sitting duck in the pocket. Derek Carr has been effective working out of play action throughout his career, and the Saints have been running a lot of it at training camp.

Saunders highlighted the offensive line’s athleticism as another trait well-suited to Kubiak’s system. The Saints like athletic offensive linemen and the greater emphasis on zone blocking will allow those players to lean into their movement skills.

The defense receives residual benefits as well. Saunders said the new offensive deception “forces the defense to play honest and lock into their keys.” If discipline breaks down, Kubiak is ready to take advantage of it.

There’s a lot of pressure placed on the offense to raise its level of play within this new system. There’s an equal amount of faith the offense will rise to the challenge.