Why New Orleans Saints Must Get Joe Morgan More Involved in Offense

In the first quarter of the Saints home loss on Monday Night Football to the Ravens, wide receiver Joe Morgan had a 60-yard rush and 60-yard reception in the same quarter.

He's the first player to do that since Pro-Football-Reference.com play-by-play data is available, dating back to 1998.

Then, inexplicably, after that: Zero touches.

What Morgan did in one quarter—taking a reverse for 67 yards on the second play from scrimmage and adding a 62-yard reception two drives later—has not been replicated by any other player over the course of the entire season, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk:

According to Bleacher Report research, Morgan was the first player to do that in the same game since Broncos wide receiver Javon Walker in 2006. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, the last player with as many yards from scrimmage (129) on two touches or fewer was Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon in 2011.

Yet Morgan played only 18 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and Saints beat writer Mike Triplett noted head coach Sean Payton provided a “clinical explanation” for it, in that he plays behind Kenny Stills in the Saints base offense.  

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Still, after Morgan accounted for the Saints' two longest plays from scrimmage this season, it remains puzzling that he would not get the ball again over the course of the last three quarters and change.

Following his two-touch, 129-yard performance on Monday Night Football, Morgan shared his thoughts, per John DeShazier of the Saints official site:

"

It shows that you’re capable of doing things. But at the same time, you stick to what the coaches call, the game plan, you trust it. Whatever they call I’ll be ready and I’ll do my part and take advantage of my opportunities.

"

After playing 50 snaps in Week 1, Morgan was inactive for the Saints' next seven games and was suspended for the next two. Brandin Cooks was placed on injured reserve following a thumb injury suffered in Week 11, creating a window for Morgan to get back on the field and emerge as a deep threat moving forward.

Cooks was often used in the screen and short-passing game, allowing him to get the ball in space and pick up yards after the catch.

But he also was targeted downfield on passes of 20 yards or more six times for four completions, 153 yards and two touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus. Over his last four games before the injury, he caught deep passes for 50, 40 and 31 yards.

Enter Joe Morgan, who has displayed the ability to be that type of big-play threat.

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After signing with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Morgan missed his rookie season with a knee injury suffered in preseason and missed the entire 2013 season with a torn ACL suffered during a scrimmage in training camp. In between, however, he flashed his downfield potential with 10 receptions for 379 yards in 2012.

According to Pro Football Focus, eight of his 10 catches that season came on passes of at least 20 yards downfield, accounting for 366 of his 379 receiving yards.

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It is that type of dynamic that Morgan can bring to the Saints offense, particularly in the absence of Cooks. Look no further for evidence than the turning point of the Monday night game, when Drew Brees threw a go-ahead pick-six to Will Hill in the third quarter.

On that play, Morgan had two steps on Ravens cornerback Danny Gorrer deep down the field.

While Marques Colston has had an excellent career, he is on pace for 55 receptions and 898 yards this season—both of which would be career lows over a full season.

Robert Meachem, who may return this Sunday from an ankle injury that cost him three games, has been a non-factor all season to the tune of five receptions in eight games.  

Given the current state of the Saints wide receiver corps, playing Kenny Stills—a deep threat in his own right—along with Morgan outside and Colston in the slot would give the offense the greatest opportunity for chunk yards through the air.

The turning point for the Saints—tied with Atlanta for the NFC South lead despite a 4-7 record—and their season going forward could be finding more ways to get Morgan on the field, getting him more involved in the offensive game plan and utilizing his speed and ability to get home runs.