New Orleans Saints among teams in attendance for Georgia vs. Tennessee game

The New Orleans Saints were among the many teams in attendance for Saturday’s game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Tennessee Volunteers.:

The New Orleans Saints were just one of many teams represented at Saturday’s Southeastern Conference clash between the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs.

In addition to New Orleans, there were also scouts in attendance for the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears.

Who exactly the Saints are looking at here could be anyone’s guess, and is obviously impossible to provide a definitive answer for. And especially when it comes down to a pair of programs that both put first-rounders in the NFL — something Georgia does every year and will continue to do in 2025.

Among the most major prospects to watch for the 2025 cycle include quarterback Carson Beck, defensive back Malaki Starks and defensive lineman Mykel Williams, just to name a handful.

It will be interesting to see what happens come April with the college football regular season beginning to wind down and the 2025 NFL draft closer than it appears.

Georgia and Tennessee remain tied at 17-17 at the half, but the Bulldogs pulled away in a 31-17 win. The Saints have drafted players from both schools in recent years, most notably Alvin Kamara and Alontae Taylor from Tennessee, so they could have been eyeing the next member of the black and gold at this SEC showdown.

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Aggression will be a part of the Saints’ culture under Darren Rizzi

Darren Rizzi expressed belief in being aggressive prior to last week, and showed he practices what he preaches. Don’t expect that to change:

For the rest of the year, you can expect the New Orleans Saints to be aggressive with their decision making.

After losing the last seven games under Dennis Allen, Darren’s Rizzi won his first game against the Atlanta Falcons. When you change head coaches in the middle of the year, sometimes you get an interim coach bump. Was that all it was? The Saints will have to prove that through the rest of the season.

Beyond rejuvenated energy, the Saints displayed an aggressiveness that will continue. When he was first announced as the interim head coach, Rizzi criticized Allen’s decision to not go for it on a fourth down versus the Carolina Panthers. That told us all we needed to know.

The Saints went for it on 4th-and-2 on the first drive. This was a predetermined decision coming into the game by Rizzi. He’s practicing what he preaches and is aiming to be aggressive.

He may not go for every fourth down, but his message to Klint Kubiak and Joe Woods was “we’re going to be aggressive play callers.” You saw that on the fourth down throw to Alvin Kamara.

The two most apparent aggressive decisions didn’t work, but Rizzi still strongly supports the decision. This is who he will be and, therefore who the Saints will be for the remainder of the season.

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Saints have spent more time leading this year than the NFL’s only unbeaten team

The Saints have an advantage in this surprising stat, but it hasn’t translated to success. They’ve spent more time leading than the NFL’s only unbeaten team:

If you needed any further proof that the NFL is a game of moments, look at the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions have spent less time this year leading the opposition than the Saints. By that stat you’d assume, at the least, the Saints are having a season on par with the Chiefs. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Saints currently sit at 3-7 and had a top-5five pick in the NFL draft a week ago. The Chiefs are the NFL’s only undefeated team. These teams are on drastically different paths.

This stat highlights one thing. In clutch moments, the Chiefs rise to the occasion while the Saints falter. Part of the reason the Saints have led for so long this season is they were in the lead for nearly the entire first two games. However late collapses also led to long periods of leaving without ending with a victory.

Kansas City, however, knows how to get victories. They’ve played in close games, but they know how to make timely plays to win. That’s why they have led for 23 less minutes than the Saints but have six more wins.

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Darren Rizzi says making Alvin Kamara a captain was ‘the right thing to do’

Darren Rizzi made the call to name Alvin Kamara a New Orleans Saints team captain, and he says it was far from a difficult decision.:

When news broke last week that Alvin Kamara would be a New Orleans Saints team captain for the remainder of the season, it was easy to wonder why he wasn’t already a captain. He’s one of the faces and biggest leaders on the team. The veteran running back being a captain feels like a no brainer, and interim head coach Darren Rizzi agrees.

It was Rizzi’s call, and it wasn’t a hard one to make. He explained Kamara has been “acting like a captain, practicing like a captain, playing like a captain so why not make him a captain?” All of these points seem like common sense.

“Alvin’s presented great leadership all year,” Rizzi further explained. What Kamara means to the city and organization made this “the right thing to do.”

The cherry on top was how Kamara bought in after the coaching change. To Rizzi, “Alvin Kamara might have been the guy who bought in the most.” That’s the type of move that resonates throughout the locker room. It made an easy decision easier.

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WATCH: Darren Rizzi presents Alvin Kamara with a Week 10 game ball

Darren Rizzi handed a game ball to running back Alvin Kamara following their win over the Falcons. The Saints’ newest team captain played a big part in Week 10:


Darren Rizzi garnered plenty of praise for the way he seemed to instantly turn things around for the New Orleans Saints as he helped take down the division-leading Atlanta Falcons, 20-17 on Sunday.

The Saints were major underdogs and pulled off perhaps the biggest “upset” of the weekend, but Rizzi did not take all of the credit. The coach handed off the game ball to star running back Alvin Kamara, who has been one of the most essential players to the New Orleans offense, but did have some off moments in the victory.

A potential walk-in touchdown reception that slipped right through his hands was something Kamara noted after the game was one of the “lamest” things he has ever done.

The moment between Rizzi and Kamara can be seen here.

Kamara finished out the game with 55 rushing yards on 17 carries, playing an almost exactly equal role in the receiving aspect of the contest as he reeled in five receptions for 54 yards. He did not have a touchdown (outside of the one that almost was), but was a key cog in pulling this one off.

He now totals 715 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 167 carries, tallying 421 receiving yards and one touchdown through the air on 51 receptions. Kamara has been targeted in the passing game 69 times.

With the Saints looking like a competitive team for the first time in months, Kamara and Co. have a chance to stay in stride with a matchup against the Cleveland Browns set for Sunday next on the schedule.

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WATCH: Alvin Kamara breaks the all-time Saints rushing yards record

WATCH: New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara breaks the all-time franchise record for rushing yards

The New Orleans Saints have a new franchise leader in all-time rushing yards, and it is Alvin Kamara. Kamara came into the Week 10 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons only 12 yards away from taking the record away from his former teammate Mark Ingram, and on the first two rushes of the game was able to accrue over that amount to take it for himself.

Kamara has previously set the franchise record for rushing touchdowns and attempts, and is nearing the top five in receiving yards for the Saints where he is only 205 yards behind Jimmy Graham for sixth place. Now he accrues one more record for his long-list of achievements, and will continue to build the gap in the coming years.

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Alvin Kamara becomes all-time leading rusher in Saints history

It’s official. Alvin Kamara is now the all-time leading rusher in New Orleans Saints history after a strong start against the Atlanta Falcons:


New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara entered Week 10 trailing 11 yards behind former teammate Mark Ingram for the franchise lead in rushing yards all-time. After a strong start start by Kamara on runs of 11 and 7 yards, he was able to set the record at only 29 years old. He had previously passed Ingram in rushing touchdowns back in December of 2023 and entered the game seventh in franchise receiving yards behind Jimmy Graham.

Kamara’s recent extension will give him even more time to pull away in the lead of the records he already holds, and also give him the opportunity to chase any he may not already have. With his five Pro Bowl appearances to date, he may also be on pace for a sixth in 2024 as he has been exceptional for the Saints so far, being one of the few productive players this year for New Orleans.

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Alvin Kamara receives a new title for the rest of the season

Alvin Kamara wasn’t a team captain for the New Orleans Saints this year, but Darren Rizzi changed that ahead of his debut as head coach:

This may surprise some, but Alvin Kamara wasn’t one of the New Orleans Saints’ team captains to start the 2024 season. He’s undoubtedly one of the Saints’ biggest leaders. He just didn’t have the title of captain until Saturday. He will now be named a captain for the remainder of the season.

Kamara has been a captain in the past, but he didn’t possess that title this season. It’s rare you ever see captains change in the middle of a season, but moving on from Dennis Allen gives the team a bit of a reset.

Darren Rizzi hasn’t been the interim head coach for even a week, but he’s already making a boatload of changes. His changes to the locker room layout and the speed of practice are the biggest changes he’s made. Kamara becoming a captain feels the most appropriate.

So far, Kamara has a new contract and a new title. The last month has been kind to him

Alvin Kamara credits former teammate who chose to ‘show me the way’

As Alvin Kamara prepares to pass Mark Ingram II as the Saints’ all-time leading rusher, he reflected on how much Ingram means to him:

Barring anything unforeseen, Alvin Kamara will be the New Orleans Saints all-time leading rusher by Monday morning.

The team won’t have to try hard to get him the record. If the past two weeks are any indication, Kamara will cross that threshold on his first carry. He opened the last two games with runs of 20 or more yards.

Kamara’s only 12 yards away from toppling Mark Ingram II’s record set in 2021. He said his former teammate told him after last week’s game, “Good thing you can break it at home.” It’s something Ingram didn’t have the chance to do. He finished a home game against the Falcons just short of the record. Kamara will break the record against the Falcons at home.

The duo were teammates in 2017 and 2018 then again in 2021 and 2022. Their joint interviews were some of that era’s highlights.

Their friendship remains strong even after Ingram’s retirement, and Kamara spoke about how much Ingram meant to his career.

Kamara gives a lot of credit to Ingram for helping him become the player and professional he is today. “That was my example. Thank God he was in my room. I had an example right there, right next to me to guide me and show me the way.”

Fast forward seven years and Kamara has the opportunity to take down Ingram’s example:  “It’s definitely a full circle moment because I came in, young buck. He gave everything to me, poured into me.”

The two leading rushers in Saints history shared the backfield for four seasons. That’s the definition of passing the torch.

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Alvin Kamara is the last man standing from the legendary 2017 Saints draft class

With Marshon Lattimore getting traded away, Alvin Kamara is the last man standing from the legendary 2017 Saints draft class:

The New Orleans Saints have officially traded away four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders. With that, they now only have one active player left on the roster from their legendary 2017 draft class, and that is Alvin Kamara. Here is a breakdown of each player, which picks they were, and where they now are around the NFL:

  • Round 1, Pick 11: CB Marshon Lattimore – traded to Washington Commanders
  • Round 1, Pick 32: OT Ryan Ramczyk – placed on reserve/PUP list
  • Round 2, Pick 42: S Marcus Williams – signed by Baltimore Ravens
  • Round 3, Pick 67: RB Alvin Kamara – remains with New Orleans Saints
  • Round 3, Pick 76: LB Alex Anzalone – signed by Detroit Lions
  • Round 3, Pick 103: DE Trey Hendrickson – signed by Cincinnati Bengals
  • Round 6, Pick 196: DE Al-Quadin Muhammad – signed by multiple teams, now with Detroit Lions

Alvin Kamara and Ryan Ramczyk both remain, however Ramczyk’s knee injury may end up ending his career, and he is missing the entire 2024 season due to this. Kamara is the only one who remains technically, and he just signed a two-year extension only a few weeks ago to tie him to the Saints through the 2026 season.

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