Numbers to Know: Saints vs. Texans

The New Orleans Saints bounced back after two consecutive losses with a win against Mac Jones and the New England Patriots. The Saints will look to continue their defensive and offensive momentum into a game versus a frisky Houston Texans team led by rookie quarterback CJ Stroud.

Here are three statistics you need to know heading into the week six matchup.

98.4 QBR

What does this mean: Houston quarterback CJ Stroud’s QBR this season

Why should I care: CJ Stroud has been playing well beyond his experience and has been leading rookie quarterbacks by a ridiculous margin. Amongst rookie QBs, he has the highest QBR (98.4), completions (114), touchdowns (7), and has the lowest number of interceptions (0). That goose egg on interceptions should be the most concerning to Dennis Allen and the Saints’ defense, a unit that has been excelling at forcing turnovers. Making Bryce Young uncomfortable was easy, but making Stroud unconformable is a different ballgame. To make the rookie look like, well, a rookie, New Orleans will need to pressure Stroud, limit his ability to scramble and force him to make tight passes. Stroud has been fantastic, but so has the New Orleans defense. It will be a test for both parties.

97 Total Yards

What does this mean: Total all-purpose yards gained by Alvin Kamara against the Patriots

Why should I care: Alvin Kamara was brilliantly utilized in the run game against the Patriots. He ran for 80 yards on 22 carries and picked up his first touchdown of the season. Despite the refreshing performance, there is still room to better utilize Kamara in both the pass and receiving game. Now that he’s had a “get right” performance, will we continue to see an increase in his usage? Will he be able to build upon this performance and start producing the numbers we remember from 2017-2021? Houston, a team that largely shut down rookie star Bijan Robinson, will be an interesting test for Kamara and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.

15.2 Points

What does this mean: Opponent points per game allowed by the Saints defense this season

Why should I care: The Saints have been carried by their defensive performances this season. Even with some critical injuries, the Saints have only allowed 15.2 opponent points per game, which is the fourth lowest in the NFL. One reason for the significant improvement in points allowed per game is likely due to the turnovers forced thus far (9), which is getting close to the turnovers they forced for the entirety of last season (14). The Saints will need to continue to force turnovers and get pressure on the quarterback, which as previously mentioned, might be especially difficult to do with CJ Stroud. As the offense becomes more comfortable and efficient, the defense will need to continue its dominance as it enters a difficult mid-season stretch.

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