The New Orleans Saints announced Friday that running back Alvin Kamara was placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list, sidelining him for at least 10 days after testing positive for the coronavirus. The team’s best player is now ineligible to suit up for their Week 17 regular season finale and, depending on how the postseason schedule shakes out, the first round of the playoffs.
It’s a huge loss. They’ll now be leaning on backup running backs Latavius Murray and Ty Montgomery, as well as special teams ace Dwayne Washington. With the receiving corps hammered by injuries — starters Emmanuel Sanders and Marquez Callaway are both still in their first year with the team — points could come at a premium on Sunday even against an undermanned Carolina Panthers defense.
But the real story here is the postseason. Kamara is probably a loss for the first round any way you slice it, and it’s kind of a long shot for the Saints to earn a valuable first-round bye (they would need to defeat the Panthers while the Green Bay Packers lose and the Seattle Seahawks win their respective games).
The NFL’s single-loss elimination format narrows the margin for error to an incredibly thin window, and Kamara’s absence means the Saints are in serious danger no matter who their opponent is: whether it’s the Bears, Los Angeles Rams, or Arizona Cardinals defense facing them, New Orleans will be effectively pitching left-handed.
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