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The New Orleans Saints made a strong case for the power of winning ugly in their 33-22 road victory over the Washington Football Team. Coach Sean Payton’s ever-evolving approach to each game this season has frankly been a master class. Simultaneously, a lesson perhaps in over scrutinizing the meaning of one isolated game. Look no further than the team’s usage of Alvin Kamara in comparison to last week.
After a career-high 26 carries – and career-low zero receiving targets – in last week’s loss, Kamara recorded his most receiving yards since the San Francisco 49ers game in Week 10 of last season. After four games with no rushing touchdown, Kamara recorded his first along with a touchdown reception.
The night-and-day employment of Kamara illustrates the identity of this new Saints team. New Orleans has adeptly balanced ugliness, chaos, and opportunistic football through their 3-2 season. What would usually be a concerningly early bye week is an exciting breather that anticipates the return of several crucial playmakers.
Numbers don’t always tell the whole story, but they rarely lie. New Orleans strengthened key trends through Week 5 that paint a perhaps stronger team identity than thought. It’s just buried in the mess of injuries, revolving game plans, and hyper scrutiny of Jameis Winston under center. Here’s what showed promise: