Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak keen on relationship between adversity, improvement

'Our defense rips the ball out better than anybody, they're forcing turnovers. We're better just by going against them every day'

Jul 30, 2024 at 04:59 PM

John DeShazier

Senior Writer

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Irvine, Calif. – No need dissecting Klint Kubiak's face for clues or looking on his sleeve to see if that's where he's wearing his heart.

The New Orleans Saints' first-year offensive coordinator isn't totally stone faced and stoic, but there's a monotonal approach that suggests he's a man who will keep his wits about him when all around him lose theirs.

Still, Kubiak didn't seem particularly overjoyed with the offense after Tuesday's work, the team's second padded training camp practice at Cal-Irvine.

Kubiak's offense has made its share of plays and had its share of days early in training camp but Tuesday wasn't one of them, as the defense likely submitted its best in the first six days of work.

"We had a great, character-building day," Kubiak said, as the team worked on situational offense and defense. "It's good for us, players and coaches."

Emphasis on "building," because that's what Kubiak and the offensive staff are attempting to do for a team learning a new playbook for the first time since 2006.

"Every day is adverse here, against Coach (Dennis) Allen's defense and (defensive coordinator) Joe Woods," Kubiak said. "Unbelievable scheme, really physical. Our defense rips the ball out better than anybody, they're forcing turnovers. We're better just by going against them every day."

And better because they're months into the learning process, a continuous task which began in the spring and picked up where it left off when the Saints arrived in Irvine.

"I was really pleased with when we came back from the summer, that guys picked right where they left off," Kubiak said. "We didn't have to start from scratch, there was a lot of retention mentally.

"I think that just says a lot about the character of the guys that (Executive Vice President/General Manager) Mickey Loomis and (Vice President/Assistant GM) Jeff (Ireland) have brought here – guys that are smart football players. We need all the smart guys we can get, and we have some here."

Near the top of that pyramid, if not at the very top, is Kubiak, whose staff is charged with improving the offense by replicating aspects that have proven successful in the past. Kubiak last season was the passing game coordinator for San Francisco, which advanced to the Super Bowl.

One of the more effective characteristics is its ability to make different plays look the same when the offense lines up. But Kubiak said that deception only can carry an offense so far.

"That's what we harp on every day in meetings, that's what we're teaching, and I think our guys are doing a good job of understanding that," he said. "That's our job as coaches, to make it look the same, make them understand what we're trying to do.

"But it's on our players to go beat man coverage and go get open. They have to know that it's not all scheme, you've got to go win. So, it's a two-way street."

Kubiak aims to get New Orleans on the right side of it, and to keep it there.

"We're a few practices into it, the first couple of days of pads," he said. "I like where we're headed but we'll never be satisfied, we'll always try to get better."

INJURY NEWS: Receiver Chris Olave became the latest Saint to pick up a training camp injury, leaving near the end of practice Tuesday with a hip issue. So far, the Saints have had running back Kendre Miller (hamstring), cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hip flexor), left guard Nick Saldiveri (calf), defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (foot) and defensive end Trajan Jeffcoat (elbow) all leave training camp practice with injuries. Receiver Equanimeous St. Brown missed Tuesday with a hamstring and fullback Zander Horvath missed the practice for personal reasons.

AGITATED STATE: Players' patience with each other appears to be growing shorter, an accelerated level of aggression that coincides with donning pads. Monday, cornerback Alontae Taylor and receiver Cedric Wilson tangled. Tuesday, after defensive end Carl Granderson sniffed out a reverse and helped deposit the runner, receiver Rashid Shaheed, on the turf with a love tap, Shaheed scrambled to his feet and tossed the ball at Granderson. And although running back Jordan Mims' stiff-arm of defensive back Shemar Jean-Charles didn't result in an exchange of non-pleasantries, it left Jean-Charles on his back and reminded that while the team isn't tackling, it's getting coincidentally physical.

"I thought there was a little bit of back and forth," Allen said. "Early on in practice, there were some plays in 7-on-7, I thought the offense did some really good things. I thought the defense responded and played much better toward the last couple of periods of practice. There's been a lot of back and forth between both sides. Our guys have been executing at a pretty good level and competing extremely hard against each other."

All-Access Photos: 2024 Saints Training Camp practice 7/30/24

Full coverage of the New Orleans Saints workouts during 2024 Training Camp at the University of California, Irvine on Tuesday, July 30.

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Full coverage of the New Orleans Saints workouts during 2024 Training Camp at the University of California, Irvine on Tuesday, July 30, including running back James Robinson (26).