Saints coach Sean Payton said it's too early to judge

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New Orleans' last-ranked running game.New Orleans managed only 43 yards rushing on 13 attempts in a Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay Alex Anzalone Jersey , but Payton said that was more about the nature of a game because the Saints had to lean on the pass after falling behind. And though the coach was more critical of the running game following the Saints 21-18 victory over Cleveland, he stressed: "We're talking about one game here. We're not talking about a crisis."The Saints' surge to the NFC South title last season was fueled to a large degree by a rejuvenated running game that ranked fifth in the NFL.The addition of Alvin Kamara, who became the 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, to Mark Ingram, who had his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season, gave New Orleans an elite tandem.Heading into Sunday's game against Atlanta, the Saints are averaging an NFL-worst 52.5 yards rushing during a 1-1 start.Ingram is serving a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Falling behind early also has compounded matters for New Orleans. Payton has had to lean heavily on Drew Brees and wide receiver Michael Thomas, who has an NFL-record 28 catches through two games."We definitely miss Mark," Thomas said. "He adds value to this offense."New Orleans' 36 rushing attempts are third-fewest in the NFL, but the Saints also have struggled when they have run the ball, averaging only 2.9 yards per rush. That ranks second-to-last, ahead of only Tampa Bay.When Ingram's suspension was announced in the spring Authentic Josh LeRibeus Jersey , Payton said the solution would not be to just give his carries to Kamara. Yet, Kamara's workload has increased. He has averaged 10.5 carries and 7.5 pass receptions after averaging 7.5 rushes and five receptions per game last season.The Saints spent much of the offseason, training camp and preseason looking for a complementary running back to Kamara.The turnstile of rushers hasn't worked out.New Orleans signed veterans Terrance West and Shane Vereen and drafted Boston Scott in the sixth round to join holdovers Jonathan Williams, Trey Edmunds and Daniel Lasco.West and Edmunds were released, Vereen and Lasco wound up on injured reserve and Scott was released and later signed to the practice squad.The Saints wound up signing Mike Gillislee after he was released by the Patriots at the end of the preseason and bringing up Williams after briefly placing him on the practice squad.After two games, Gillislee has 11 rushes for 27 yards and he lost a fumble that Tampa Bay returned for a pivotal touchdown in the Saints' 48-41 loss in the season opener. Williams has rushed just twice minus-1 yard.Payton said communication and blocking were the main issues against the Browns, who held the Saints to 62 yards on 23 rushing attempts."We just didn't run as effectively against (Cleveland) as we would have liked," Payton said. "It's one of those teams that's going to give you some tough run looks. There's just a number of things that we have to get cleaned up."Brees cited two important runs that helped the Saints rally from a 12-3 deficit in the fourth quarter.Kamara had an 18-yard run that started a touchdown drive which pulled them within two points. He also gained five yards on a third-and-2 to extend another touchdown drive that gave New Orleans its first lead."When we rushed better in the latter part help of the game it helped," Payton added. "When we review with our players where we stand in terms of what's important to winning and losing, (running effectively) certainly sits at the top."Notes: Defensive tackle Tyeler Davison (foot), receiver Tommylee Lewis (knee) and linebacker Manti Te'o (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. ... The Saints listed three players as limited in practice: left tackle Terron Armstead (knee), receiver Ted Ginn (knee) and left guard Andrus Peat (ankle). The Browns were just a kick away.Well, maybe a few kicks Youth Austin Carr Jersey , not to mention a defensive penalty that revived a New Orleans touchdown drive, as well as an interception that set up another Saints score in the waning minutes.Even with all those critical, untimely mistakes, Cleveland could have forced overtime if Zane Gonzalez had managed to compartmentalize an earlier missed field goal — and two missed extra points — when he lined up for a 52-yard try in the final seconds.Gonzalez pushed it wide, and the Browns fell 21-18 in New Orleans to extend their winless streak to 19 games.Yet the performance also demonstrated how close Cleveland is to breaking back into the win column."Our players, as I told them afterward, 'There is a good team in that (locker) room,'" Browns coach Hue Jackson said. "There is no doubt in my mind about that."We've just got to make sure we are doing the right things all of the time to give us a chance."The Browns head into Week 3 with one loss and one tie, but with reasons for optimism. They are just a few plays away from being 2-0. In Week 1, they set up for a winning field goal in overtime against Pittsburgh , only to have it blocked.The Saints (1-1), meanwhile, are evidently unsatisfied with how their season has begun. Their defense struggled in a 48-40 Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay. In Week 2 Ken Crawley Jersey , the offense managed only a field goal through three quarters and change against Cleveland before rallying for 18 points inside the final nine minutes. If not for safety Marcus Williams' interception of Tyrod Taylor with just less than five minutes to go, the Saints might have become the first team to lose to the Browns since Dec. 24, 2016."I'm encouraged we won, but let's not kid ourselves," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "We have a lot to do to improve."Some story lines emerging from New Orleans' narrow triumph over Cleveland:WILLIAMS' WAYGregg Williams, a the Saints defensive coordinator from 2009-11, was caught on the HBO series Hard Knocks boasting that he turned down numerous jobs to take over as defensive coordinator in Cleveland. Now everyone can see why.Drew Brees and the Saints had their hands full with a Browns defense that forced two turnovers — fumbled by receivers Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. — and came up with three drive-stalling sacks. Tackle Larry Ogunjobi sacked Brees twice, blitzing cornerback T.J. Carrie got to Brees on another third down, and Ogunjobi would have had another in the fourth quarter if not for Derrick Kindred's illegal contact penalty."He did a good job," Payton said of Williams. "They always give you challenging looks. ... They have some good young players that played well."ONE-TWO PUNCHThrough Week 2, it's apparent that the Saints are relying heavily on Thomas and running back Alvin Kamara to carry the load.Thomas had 12 catches for 89 yards and both Saints touchdowns, giving him 28 catches for 269 yards and three TDs through two games."With a player of my caliber and the guy behind center and the offensive line and all the tools around me, I'm going to catch a lot of footballs. I'm going to get open. I've been doing that my whole life http://www.saintsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-benjamin-watson-jersey ," Thomas said. "So now what can I do to add value to this team and take the next step?"Kamara had 99 yards from scrimmage, including 53 receiving on six catches to go with his successful run on a 2-point conversion. Kamara now has 240 yards from scrimmage and three TDs.BIG-PLAY CALLOWAYA day after the Browns announced they were formally giving up on deep-threat receiver Josh Gordon, rookie Antonio Calloway offered evidence he could grow into a similar type of play maker, racing past the Saints' secondary for a 47-yard touchdown catch from Taylor on a fourth-and-5 play with 1:16 to go. It could have been a go-ahead score, but Gonzalez hooked the extra point wide left."Those are plays we truly believe he can make," Jackson said.HILL COUNTRYPerhaps third-string QB is the wrong title for New Orleans' Taysom Hill. He became a regular on special teams late last season on kick coverage. Against Cleveland, he debuted as kickoff returner — and there's every reason to believe he'll get another shot. After Cleveland's first three kickoffs went for touchbacks, Hill decided to return the fourth from 7 yards deep in the end zone. He burst through a seam and sprinted out of the Saints 40 before being tripped up."It was a good return," Payton said. "He's explosive."
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