Tag: Kendre Miller

Kendre Miller to be ‘all gas, no brakes’ after return from injury

The move from Dennis Allen to Darren Rizzi took Kendre Miller out of the doghouse. It should lead to greater usage when he returns from injured reserve:

Kendre Miller’s New Orleans Saints career hasn’t really been able to get off the ground due to injuries. Injuries have limited the former third-round draft pick to just 10 games in two seasons.

The frustrating part about Miller is you see why the Saints selected him when he plays. He only played in two games and carried the ball nine times this year, but he looked like a great complement to Alvin Kamara.

And Miller may have the chance to truly showcase this upon his return now that Darren Rizzi is the coach. Dennis Allen was publicly critical enough to assume he and Miller had a bad relationship in private.

It was reported Miller didn’t need to be put on injured reserve, and that was a Dennis Allen decision. The change at head coach takes the running back out of the doghouse.

Per LouisianaSportsDotNet’s Ross Jackson, the plan is for Miller to be “all gas, no brakes” when he comes back from a hamstring injury. That could be as early as this week against the New York Giants.

Miller should see plenty of carries per game if this is the approach. The Saints will be without Taysom Hill for the rest of the season, and Miller should be the secondary rushing option over Jamaal Williams.

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Report: Dennis Allen ‘had a lot to do with’ RB’s second stint on injured reserve

Kendre Miller went back on injured reserve soon after leaving it, with a minor hamstring injury. This report says that was largely Dennis Allen’s decision:

No one is more frustrated than Kendre Miller with his injury situation — after all, it’s his own body getting damaged and holding back his career. But former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen’s frustrations boiled over. Not long after Miller returned from injured reserve with a hamstring injury, he exited another game after injuring the hamstring in his other leg.

It was described as a minor injury, expected to sideline him for a week or two. But this report from LouisianaSports.Net’s Ross Jackson says Allen “had a lot to do with” the decision to sideline Miller on injured reserve again. Now the running back has to miss four games before he’ll be eligible to return. The soonest he can play again is Week 14’s matchup with the New York Giants.

Miller had been in the doghouse with Allen for months. He suffered that first hamstring injury just minutes into their first training camp practice and didn’t return until almost midseason. Allen had questioned Miller’s comprehension of the playbook with so few practice reps and even suggested the former third-round draft pick could fail to make the team if he couldn’t stay healthy.

So it was a tense situation to say the least. But Allen is gone now, having been fired, and Miller is anticipating a heavy workload once he’s allowed back on the field. His career to this point hasn’t met expectations, but the young pro is determined to salvage it the next time he has the ball in his hands.

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Saints running back lost to injured reserve with new hamstring injury

Kendre Miller’s recent hamstring injury has forced the Saints to place him on injured reserve, meaning he will miss 10 of the first 12 games in 2024:

The New Orleans Saints injury bug bites again, this time we see Kendre Miller once again with another hamstring injury, the third of his short NFL career to date. This new hamstring injury, separate from the one he suffered in July of this year, has forced the Saints to place Miller on injured reserve, meaning he will miss an additional four weeks. It isn’t the same leg he injured last time.

This also means he will miss 10 of the first 12 games of the 2024 season, and 19 total (since being drafted) by the time he is able to return, assuming he only misses the next four games.

The Saints will now have to rely on Alvin Kamara even more than usual, which is not good given his recent injuries in the past few seasons. The Saints will also be without Jamaal Williams (groin) in this game as he was downgraded at the same time. This leaves the Saints with Kamara, and their two recent signees Jordan Mims and Jacob Kibodi as their options at the running back position.

Unfortunately, we will not get a good chance to see Miller for awhile again, especially after a few quality runs against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Saints re-sign a running back to their practice squad

The Saints have re-signed a familiar running back to their practice squad. Preseason fan-favorite Jacob Kibodi is back on the team:

The New Orleans Saints have re-signed running back Jacob Kibodi to the practice squad, per a report from Saints News Network’s John Hendrix.

This comes shortly after Saints rusher Kendre Miller went down with a hamstring injury after he only played 10 snaps offensively on Sunday.

The undrafted rookie out of ULL was originally released from the practice squad at the beginning of October. He received a lot of love from the fan base and took advantage of the opportunity to play for a team that was all but completely in his own backyard.

“That was a dream come true. Coming from Louisiana, that’s a blessing. Everybody dreams of that as a kid,” Kibodi said after his two-touchdown preseason gamje against the Tennessee Titans, adding that his mother Meta and brothers Uriah and Caleb were in attendance.

It will be interesting to see how this venture with the Saints pays off for Kibodi in his second shot in New Orleans.

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Injuries are robbing the Saints of an explosive running back

Week 8 told the story of Kendre Miller’s career with the Saints. He has all the makings of an explosive lead back — except for health:

It’s hard to not be enamored with how Kendre Miller runs the ball. When he receives the handoff, there’s a different burst as he goes through the hole. It’s explosive and creates an appetite for more. Unfortunately through his two years in the NFL, injuries have and continue to keep New Orleans Saints fans famished.

In just his second game back from injury, Miller has already suffered another hamstring injury. That’s been what has derailed him from forming a true one-two punch with Alvin Kamara.

Miller has the skill set to be a lead back, and you want him to touch the ball more. He had gains of 1, 10, and 5 yards on just three attempts with a couple of other runs called back by penalty. He’s averaging 5.8  yards per attempt through two games this year. The problem is you can’t use a player when he’s not on the field. As long as injuries continue to plague Miller, the Saints won’t be able to trust him with expanded responsibilities.

No one should fault the Saints for investing in a new running back this year. Matter of fact, it may be more condemnable to not invest in the position.

At full health, Miller is fully equipped to help carry the workload. Unfortunately for him and the Saints, health is Miller’s biggest issue.

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Saints running back ruled out for rest of Chargers game with injury

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller suffered another hamstring injury, and will miss the remainder of Week 8’s Chargers game:

The New Orleans Saints injury bug continues, as they see Kendre Miller go down with another hamstring injury in their Week 8 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. This is not a new occurrence for Miller, as he has previously suffered a litany of injuries in his short NFL career, with two additional hamstring injuries, a patella sprain, and an ankle sprain, which have caused him to miss 15 games to date (nine in 2023 and six so far in 2024).

The Saints ruled Miller out for the remainder of their matchup with the Chargers, which leaves them back at square one with only Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams. Things get intriguing now because they previously waived Jordan Mims, which leaves them with the option to either go sign another running back or figure out where to trade for one if they find it to be a big need. We will see the severity of the injury in the coming days, but as of now it is not a good sign with so many injuries piling up for him.

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Fantasy Football: 10 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Tyler Goodson and Ray Davis highlight this week’s list of running backs to target on the fantasy football waiver wire.

Several key injuries (and players returning from injuries) are shaking up the NFL — and fantasy football lineups — going into Week 8.

At quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa (27%) is expected to return after recovering from his concussion. In Cleveland, the Browns are expected to turn the offense over to Jameis Winston (1%) after losing Deshuan Watson to an Achilles injury. Drake Maye (14%) is also worth a look at QB.

At wide receiver, Jauan Jennings (46%) will be a popular target this week after the 49ers lost Brandon Aiyuk to a torn ACL. Elsewhere at the position, Romeo Doubs (37%) has turned heads with consecutive big games.

At tight end, Hunter Henry (28%) and Taysom Hill (21%) will be among the top targets to consider on the waiver wire ahead of Week 8.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of ten running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Ray Davis (15%): Even with James Cook back in the lineup, Davis still got five carries and a target, turning those touches into 41 rushing yards and a touchdown and a one-yard reception. He won’t reach the end zone every week, but Davis offers flex value even when Cook is healthy.

2. RB Tyler Goodson (10%): It remains to be seen if Jonathan Taylor (ankle) will be able to return this week. In his absence on Sunday, it was Goodson, not Trey Sermon, who led the Colts’ backfield with 14 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown.

3. RB Alexander Mattison (43%): Mattison dominated the Raiders’ backfield on Sunday with 26 touches that he turned into 123 yards.

4. RB Jaylen Warren (46%): Najee Harris is still the guy in Pittsburgh, but Warren got 12 carries and three targets in Week 7. He’s worth flex consideration in a shared backfield.

5. RB Tyrone Tracy (48%): Even with Devin Singletary back in the lineup, Tracy remained a key part of New York’s offense. Game flow didn’t allow for much rushing from the Giants, but Tracy got one more carry (six to five) and two more targets (three to one) than Singletary on Sunday.

6. RB Sean Tucker (11%): Rachaad White is back and Bucky Irving remains the RB1b, but there’s still a role for Tucker in the backfield. He got five carries and two targets on Monday.

7. RB Kendre Miller (8%): The Saints weren’t able to get anything going against Denver’s defense on TNF, but Miller got six carries (compared to Alvin Kamara’s seven) and three targets (compared to Kamara’s seven). Kamara is obviously still the star in New Orleans, but Miller might have some standalone value going forward.

8. RB D’Ernest Johnson (15%): Tank Bigsby (69%) is dominating right now, but there’s still a role for Johnson. He got nine carries and four targets this week.

9. RB Trey Benson (18%): Benson is a claim-and-stash option in case James Conner is ever unavailable this season.

10. RB Blake Corum (18%): Similar to Benson, Corum is a valuable handcuff behind Kyren Williams.

Bonus RBs: Nick Chubb (83%), Tank Bigsby (69%), Jonathon Brooks (60%), Bucky Irving (66%) and Tyler Allgeier (54%) are already rostered in most leagues, but double check just to make sure they’re not still available in your league. 

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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Week 7 inactive report: Second-year Saints draft makes his debut vs. Broncos

Kendre Miller is making his debut, but Khalen Saunders won’t play due to injury. Here is the Week 7 inactive report for both teams:

The new Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos announced their lists of inactive players for Week 7’s prime-time game at the Caesars Superdome, and it’s a lot of high-profile starters sidelined for the black and gold.

But it isn’t all bad news. Second-year running back Kendre Miller will make his season debut after missing all of training camp and the first four games  with a hamstring injury; after practicing for two weeks, his coaches are confident he can get on the field and help the team snap their four-week losing streak.

Additionally, starting left guard/center Lucas Patrick is active, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll play while dealing with a chest injury. He hurt his collarbone a few weeks back and hasn’t been able to practice, so they may be holding him in reserve should other injuries force him into the game.

Here’s the full list:

New Orleans Saints inactive players:

  • QB Derek Carr
  • TE Taysom Hill
  • WR Chris Olave
  • LB Pete Werner
  • DT Khalen Saunders
  • C/G Cesar Ruiz
  • RB Jordan Mims

Denver Broncos inactive players:

  • CB Pat Surtain II
  • CB Kris Abrams-Draine
  • T Alex Palczewski
  • TE Greg Dulcich
  • OLB Dondrea Tillman
  • DL Eyioma Uwazurike
  • QB Zach Wilson (emergency third quarterback)

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Saints announce inactive players for Week 6 game vs. Buccaneers

The Saints announced their inactive players for Week 6’s game with the Buccaneers. Kendre Miller won’t be making his debut just yet:

One subtle change in the New Orleans Saints list of inactive players is the lack of an emergency quarterback due to Spencer Rattler starting.

Going into the Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints ruled five players out before we even got to the weekend. On the final day of practice, New Orleans ruled out Taysom Hill, Cesar Ruiz, Pete Werner, Derek Carr and Will Harris, who went on injured reserve.

It wasn’t all bad, though. Alvin Kamara, Rashid Shaheed and Willie Gay walked away from Friday’s practice without a game day designation.

This means they’ll be good to go. Kamara and Shaheed are two of the most important players to Klint Kubiak’s system. Gay will be more prevalent with Dennis Allen’s plans because of Werner’s injury

Kendre Miller was also activated off injured reserve, but he won’t play just yet. The Saints kept him and a few others listed as questionable. Miller is still waiting for his chance behind Jamaal Williams, Jordan Mims, and of course Kamara.

Here are the inactive players in Saints Week 6 game versus the Buccaneers:

New Orleans Saints inactive players:

  • G Cesar Ruiz (knee)
  • LB Pete Werner (hamstring)
  • QB Derek Carr (oblique)
  • TE Taysom Hill (rib)
  • RB Kendre Miller (hamstring)
  • OL Lucas Patrick (chest)
  • DT Khristian Boyd

Tampa Bay Buccaneers inactive players:

  • C Graham Barton (hamstring)
  • CB Christian Izien (elbow/groin)
  • WR Trey Palmer (concussion
  • WR Kameron Johnson (ankle)
  • DL Earnest Brown IV (ribs)
  • RB Rachaad White (foot)
  • TE Devin Culp

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Saints activate Kendre Miller off injured reserve ahead of Week 6

Saints running back Kendre Miller will likely be active in Week 6 game vs. the Buccaneers after being activated off IR

The New Orleans Saints have activated running back Kendre Miller off injured reserve. Miller has been kept off the field with a hamstring injury he suffered on the first day of Saints training camp.

Being on injured reserve meant he had to miss at least the first four games of the season. He returned to practice after the Saints game against the Atlanta Falcons but was unable to play against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Miller’s return should help Alvin Kamara, who has been carrying the brunt of the rushing workload. With Spencer Rattler starting in Derek Carr’s absence, Klint Kubiak will likely lean even heavier into the running game.

This is Miller’s first game back, so don’t expect him to be too heavily involved. He should at least match the amount of Jamaal Williams has been receiving.

In games that weren’t blowouts, Williams has averaged three touches a game. That is a small amount of touches, and shouldn’t honestly be the baseline for his involvement.