Saints' Kellen Moore Expected To Implement Play Used Heavily With Eagles

Moore found success using the play with Jalen Hurts...

May 10, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore talks with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley during rookie minicamp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Head coach Kellen Moore and the New Orleans Saints want to put their young quarterback in the best position to thrive.

Whether that player is Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler in the QB1 role has yet to be finalized, but in either case, Moore’s new offensive scheme will cater to their strengths.

One offensive play that Saints fans can expect to see more of in 2025 is the run-pass option. LouisianaSports.Net’s Ross Jackson recently delved into Moore’s history of succeeding with this tactic.

“The run-pass option (RPO) is one of the latest innovations in football to make the leap from the collegiate level to the pros,” Jackson wrote.

“The play allows a quarterback, after the snap, to choose whether to hand the ball off to a running back or keep the ball in an attempt to throw a pass.”

“With the arrival of new head coach Kellen Moore, more consistent RPO snaps could be on the way (for the Saints). An element of the game that both young quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough have proven to be very comfortable handling going back to their collegiate days.”

“Moore’s 2024 passer Jalen Hurts saw several of these plays with the Philadelphia Eagles. Moore’s Eagles ran 274 RPO plays last year, the most in the league. 199 of them turned into rushes while 75 became passing attempts. The Saints ran nearly nine-times fewer RPOs in the meanwhile. In 2023, Moore’s Los Angeles Chargers offense ranked No. 2 in the league in run-pass option play calls.”

The RPO is a fascinating play to watch NFL quarterbacks execute because it all comes down to unique decision-making in real time. With the 2025 Saints, either Shough or Rattler will be tasked with reading the defense after the snap and making a decisive decision to either hand off or keep the football ... something fans are more accustomed to seeing in the college game.

According to Jackson, both Shough and Rattler saw their fair share of RPOs in college, so both players are well-equipped to execute the play at the next level.

The Saints ran only 33 RPOs in 2024. Notably, New Orleans ran 60 in 2023 when Taysom Hill was healthy.

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