The New Orleans Saints have dealt with some seriously tough sledding in their first eight games. They had to draw up five different game plans without franchise quarterback Drew Brees, and were stuck playing one of the toughest slates of defenses in the NFL. They overcame those long odds to go into the bye week with a 7-1 record. If the playoffs started today, that’s good enough to earn them a first-round bye.

According to the metrics developed by Sharp Football Stats, New Orleans played the NFL’s eleventh-ranked schedule in opposing defensive efficiency. This considers how well their opponents played on a per-down basis, reflecting their ability to limit big plays and get off the field in critical situations. Their toughest games included a home opener with the Houston Texans and tough road contests against the Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago Bears.

What’s interesting is how the Saints have handled their opponents. Saints coach Sean Payton has called a pass-run split of 59%-to-41%, enjoying a success rate of 51% on pass plays and 52% on run plays. They’ve been one of a few teams to find success on more than half their plays both through the air and on the ground.

So how do these numbers translate to the football field? It demonstrates how Payton has done a masterful job to win in different ways with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback. He’s even gotten creative with running back Alvin Kamara sidelined for two weeks, running more power plays with Latavius Murray behind overloaded offensive line sets.

This could pay dividends down the stretch, now that Brees is back. Payton got the opportunity to evaluate his team and learn what they do well; Murray’s usage is a great example of this. Before Kamara was pulled aside to rest his injured ankle, Murray was averaging just 23 rushing yards per game and had the look of a free agent bust. But he got the opportunity to show the Saints what he can do, and now they have a battering ram whose physical style of play compliments an offensive line that enjoys pushing upfield.

It’s an added dimension to the offense that shouldn’t go away once Kamara is back. They can coexist just like Kamara once split time with Mark Ingram, putting them both on the field together to confuse opponents. Imagine a formation where Kamara is lined up deep in the backfield, Murray at Brees’ side as a fullback. Kamara goes in motion to the slot and Murray backpedals to receive the handoff from greater depth. Who does the defense key in on?

There are the sort of problems the Saints offense can now pose. And the combined defensive strength of schedule on their remaining opponents ranks nineteenth in the NFL. That’s helped by two games against a bottom-feeding Atlanta Falcons defense, which they’ll play twice in the next four weeks. Expect the Saints to gain momentum, not trail off, as the season marches on.