Play-caller
- Calls plays: Kellen Moore (HC) — confirmed. Moore called plays as HC in 2025 and is listed as the Saints' offensive play-caller for 2026 (Acme Packing Company league-wide play-caller roundup + louisianasports.net training-camp preview, retrieved 2026-07-07). OC Doug Nussmeier does not call plays.
- Tenure with team: entering year 2 (hired 2025-02-11, neworleanssaints.com) · Prior relationship with QB1: drafted Shough rd 2 in 2025 and developed him — Shough went 5-4 as starter after taking over in November (ESPN, 2026-01-08).
Last 3 play-calling stops (skip non-calling years):
| Stop (team, yrs) | PROE | Neutral pass% | Sec/play (neutral) | Motion% | PA% | 11 / 12 / 21% | Condensed% | RB tgt share | WR1 TS | Inside-10 pass% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO 2025 (HC) | −2.3% (Roundtable.io/NBC Sports, retrieved 2026-07-07) | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED (fast — 65.35 plays/g, pbp_summary 2025) | UNVERIFIED (high-motion emphasis, roundtable.io) | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED / 11.2% / UNVERIFIED (12P: nola.com, 2026 offseason) | UNVERIFIED | 13.6% (computed, receiving.csv 2025: 77 RB tgt / ~565 team tgt) | 27.6% (Olave, receiving.csv 2025) | dead-last PROE inside 10, −31% vs expected Wk8–18 (NBC Sports, retrieved 2026-07-07) |
| PHI 2024 (OC, called plays) | UNVERIFIED (run-heavy) | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED / 29.9% / UNVERIFIED (12P: nola.com) | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED — #2 rushing offense, 27.2 ppg #7 (sportsnaut/BGN, retrieved 2026-07-07) |
| LAC 2023 (OC, called plays) | UNVERIFIED (pass-lean w/ Herbert) | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | 68% (6th in NFL, Bleeding Green Nation, 2024-02) | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED |
Read (2–3 sentences): Moore is a fast-pace, high-volume caller — his first five play-calling offenses all ranked top-4 in sec/play and all six averaged ≥65 plays/game (DraftSharks, retrieved 2026-07-07) — but he is run-lean by PROE (−2.3%) and extremely run-lean at the goal line, which caps pass-catcher TD equity. 2025 was the first Moore offense without a 500-yard rusher and set his career-worst rushing ranks (louisianasports.net, 2026-01-12), and his stated 2026 fixes are more under-center runs, more multi-TE sets, and feeding the new backfield — he historically doubles the 11.2% 12-personnel rate the Saints ran in 2025 (29.9% in PHI 2024; nola.com). Expect ~65 plays/game with a pass rate drifting down from 2025's script-inflated 63.9%, a fed WR1 (Olave 27.6% TS in year 1), and modest RB target share (13.6% in 2025) that Etienne's profile should push toward the middle band.
Scheme family
- Run scheme: mixed zone-lean with a stated 2026 shift to more under-center runs and duo/gap looks out of multi-TE sets (louisianasports.net/nola.com, retrieved 2026-07-07) — fits one-cut, three-down profiles (Etienne) over pure satellite backs.
- Pass-game family: Moore's Coryell-rooted system layered with modern motion/spacing (BGN scheme breakdown, 2024-02) — timing-based dropback game, high motion, willing to feed a true X iso'd on the boundary; slot usage is featured (Olave and Juwan Johnson worked the slot at minicamp — nola.com, 2026-06). Implication: mid-to-high aDOT for the WR1/WR2, PPR-friendly TE seams, WR3 snaps at risk as 12-personnel roughly doubles.
