Tag: Kendre Miller

New Orleans Saints running back officially ruled out vs. Chiefs

Kendre Miller’s 21-day window to practice is open, so a return is imminent. It just won’t come against the Chiefs, as the Saints have ruled him out:

Kendre Miller will not suit up for the New Orleans Saints against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5.

There was an initial level of excitement when Dennis Allen announced Miller could return to practice. Alvin Kamara is performing phenomenally. He is, however, dealing with some injuries, and his workload isn’t helping matters. When looking around at the performance of the supporting cast, Klint Kubiak doesn’t have a choice but to ride Kamara.

There was hope and excitement around Miller possibly returning to take a few carries off Kamara’s plate. That hope will have to wait one more week.

The excitement around his return continued as he did return to practice this week. Unfortunately, emotions tapered as Miller was designated doubtful for the Monday night showdown versus the Chiefs. Now, he has been officially ruled out.

It’s important to note this is not a setback but rather a step in the return process. Miller practiced for the first time this week since July. His ramp up may take a week. His 21-day window is activated, so he’ll be back no later than the Week 8 game with the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Saints rule out starter vs. Chiefs, update Kendre Miller’s status

The New Orleans Saints linebacker unit will be without Pete Werner against the Chiefs, and Kendre Miller’s status was updated for Week 5:

The New Orleans Saints provided two updates to their injuries on Sunday, which included marking starting linebacker Pete Werner as out and returning running back Kendre Miller as doubtful. Werner will also not travel with the team to Kansas City for their matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, which is an unfortunate development as the team was already without Willie Gay Jr. as well, and Demario Davis is returning off injury. If last week is any indication, the starters will be Davis and D’Marco Jackson for Week 5.

Kendre Miller being downgraded is not great news either, as he had practiced fully at points during the week, but unfortunately will not be able to take some pressure off of Alvin Kamara just yet unless a major swing occurs and he looks ready on Monday. We will see how he looks pre-game and if anything has changed, but this could also be a precautionary measure to ensure he is fully healthy before getting on the field.

Here’s what Kendre Miller needs to show his coaches to play vs. Chiefs

What could keep Kendre Miller off the field when the Saints kick off with the Chiefs on Monday night? Dennis Allen says there are a few hurdles in front of him:

New Orleans Saints fans got some positive injury news this week when Kendre Miller returned to practice, but the second-year running back may not be ready to suit up against the Kansas City Chiefs just yet. He’s been out of action with a hamstring injury since the first day of training camp back in July, but now he’s working hard to show his coaches what they need to see to give him the green light.

So what’s keeping him off the field now? Is it Miller’s health or command of the offense making hurdles for him moving forward? That’s what Saints head coach Dennis Allen was asked.

“I’d say both, you know what I mean?” Allen responded Saturday.

Allen continued: “Look the biggest thing, you know, has been health. Is he available? Can he get out and practice? Can he get out and do some things? And you can’t really find out whether he knows the offense until he goes out and starts practicing and doing some things. I think he had a good week of practice, and it was good having him out there. I was excited about having him out there. We’ll see how he continues to go and make our decisions as we move along.”

On paper, Miller should be a great fit running behind Klint Kubiak’s zone-heavy blocking scheme. He has the combination of twitched-up agility, patient vision, and real speed in the open field to do some damage. But these three practices this week were his first exposure to Kubiak’s system. The coaches just don’t have much to work with in designing the game plan, so it’s all projection.

So will Miller dress out on Monday? That might be overambitious. But he has a chance, and so long as he stays healthy and keeps stacking good days of practice, it shouldn’t be too long before he makes his 2024 debut.

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Kendre Miller returns to Saints practice on Thursday

Kendre Miller has returned to practice for the first time since July 24th. What is the next step for the running back?

It’s been over two months since the last time the New Orleans Saints seen Kendre Miller. Miller broke that drought when he returned to practice on Thursday. Miller suffered a hamstring injury on the first day of Saints training camp that led to him landing on injured reserve.

Technically, Miller is still on injured reserve. Miller’s return to practice does not guarantee he’ll play against the Kansas City Chiefs this Monday. Dennis Allen says the team is still undecided on Miller’s immediate future.

What the return does is activate a 21-day window for Miller to return to the active roster. If Miller isn’t placed on the active roster by Oct. 24, he will be relegated to injured reserve permanently.

Though he could jump straight to the active roster, it’s best to look at the next three weeks as a ramp up. Because of Miller’s past injury history, the team will be cautious with his process.

Alvin Kamara is our pick for Saints Offensive Player of September

Alvin Kamara has been the best player on the team through four weeks, silencing his doubters. He is our pick for Saints Offensive Player of September:

Alvin Kamara is the New Orleans Saints’ unequivocal offensive MVP through the first month of the season. There is little question of who has been the best player not only on the offense but the team in general.

This was the exact impact Klint Kubiak was supposed to have when he came into New Orleans. Dennis Allen hired Kubiak to rejuvenate a stagnant offense. The Shannahan-Kubiak system is the most sought after offensive scheme in the league and it starts with the running backs.

Kamara seemed to be held back by how he was used. Kamara’s strong start to the season only further confirmed this belief. He is back to being dynamic in the run game and the passing attack. The latter had faded recently without the creative routes and opportunities we saw earlier in his career.

Kamara has the most rushing touchdowns and scrimmage yards in the NFL going into Week 5. He’s taken the increased workload and is turning it into one of the most productive seasons in his career.

Some questioned if Kamara lost his explosiveness. The answer is clearly no. In a contract year, the start to the season has silenced many doubters.

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Alvin Kamara’s usage in 2024 resembles 49ers star Christian McCaffrey in 2023

Alvin Kamara is the NFL’s biggest workhorse through four games. Klint Kubiak is using him similar to how San Francisco used Christian McCaffrey:

In Klint Kubiak’s system, Alvin Kamara has become a workhorse for the New Orleans Saints. You could even make the argument he’s the biggest workhorse in the NFL. His 97 touches are the most in the NFL through four  weeks.

It would be nice if Jamaal Williams or Kendre Miller, when he returns, would give some assistance. That hasn’t been the case, and Kamara is averaging over 24 touches per game. At this rate, he will topple his career-high 287 touches from 2021.

Kubiak’s last stop was with the San Francisco 49ers, and Kamara’s usage reflects Christian McCaffrey’s usage in 2023.

In that season, McCaffrey won Offensive Player of the Year. McCaffrey had the most touches in the NFL that season. The year is still young, but Kamara is in the same boat at the moment.

The term workhorse isn’t typically associated with McCaffrey or Kamara. They aren’t the style of running back you likely grew up watching. Their touches are spread out between rushing and receiving.

However, the style of play at the position has changed and the way we use that word should be tweaked too. McCaffrey didn’t have the most carries and neither does Kamara. They both lead their team in carries by a landslide while also being important receiving threats.

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Saints haven’t made a decision on activating Kendre Miller just yet

Dennis Allen says the Saints haven’t made a decision on activating Kendre Miller just yet, but the second-year running back has ‘made significant progress’

Dennis Allen says the New Orleans Saints haven’t made a decision on activating Kendre Miller from injured reserve just yet. The second-year running back has been sidelined since July 24 with a hamstring injury that cost him all of training camp, three preseason games, and at least the first four regular season matchups. He hasn’t practiced in 70 days.

And it sounds like he’s going to wait a little longer. It had been previously reported that the Saints expected Miller back after Week 4’s game with the Atlanta Falcons, but Allen tempered those expectations. Miller is eligible to return from injured reserve, but he may not be ready just yet.

“He’s made significant progress. I think that’s something that we’re considering,” Allen told WWL Radio this week. “We haven’t made a final decision on that.”

Players sometimes play as soon as they return to practice, but generally they take some time knocking off the rust. NFL rules give them a 21-day window in which to practice and prove they’re ready to go. So even if the Saints designate Miller to return on Thursday, there’s no guarantee he’ll play against the Kansas City Chiefs next Monday.

“I think that three-week window for him is going to be an important timeframe,” Allen added.

That’s disappointing. Hamstring injuries don’t normally take this long to recover from, but everyone is different, and so is every injury. Maybe Miller is dealing with something else. Maybe Allen is trying to motivate him. We’ll watch for updates.

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Rookie RB Jacob Kibodi waived from Saints’ practice squad

The New Orleans Saints waived rookie running back Jacob Kibodi from their practice squad, which may signal Kendre Miller’s return is imminent:

The New Orleans Saints waived rookie running back Jacob Kibodi from their practice squad on Tuesday, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. It’s a tough break for the former Ragin’ Cajun from Baton Rouge. Kibodi ran hard in the preseason finale but didn’t dress out for the first four regular season games.

His departure may signal Kendre Miller’s return is imminent. The second-year pro is eligible to be activated from injured reserve any day now, but the Saints won’t hit the practice field until Thursday. It’s been reported that Miller is expected back at practice soon so keep an eye out for movement.

Alvin Kamara has been the team’s unchallenged go-to running back through four games. Jamaal Williams has seen only a handful of touches and Jordan Mims hasn’t been a factor to this point in the season. Miller could provide a spark but he hasn’t even taken a snap in Klint Kubiak’s offense yet during a padded practice. Stay tuned.

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Kendre Miller is the Saints’ last hope of giving Alvin Kamara help

The Saints need another option at running back next to Alvin Kamara. Kendre Miller should return from injury soon, and he might be their last hope:

Alvin Kamara has been phenomenal this season. The New Orleans Saints running back is on pace to have the best season of his career, but his recent injuries suggest he would benefit from receiving some help with the workload.

Ideally, Jamaal Williams would give Kamara reprieve. His lack of touches suggest a lack of belief from the staff. Taysom Hill is the Saints’ second-best running threat, but he has his own injuries.

This is where Kendre Miller comes into play. There’s no guarantee he’ll be available when the Saints face the Kansas City Chiefs on “Monday Night Football” next week. However, the running back is eligible to return to practice this week, and the expectation is it won’t take long for him to get back up to speed.

Miller could be the secondary option at running back the Saints need. Granted, Miller has never been able to shake the injury bug. It’s hard to express confidence in him to carry any portion of the workload, but he’s the best hope at this time.

Kamara has the most touches in the NFL, and the number is higher when Hill is out of the game. He’s dealing with rib and hip injuries and has had at least 20 touches a game. Miller is the last hope of giving Kamara some help.

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Dennis Allen says the Saints offense needs more firepower

Dennis Allen says the Saints offense needs more firepower. Underperforming veterans need to step up, but so do the draft picks watching games in sweatpants:

The New Orleans Saints have a good set of options at the skills positions, but good is the enemy of great. And Saints head coach Dennis Allen is looking for someone to step up now that injuries have hit the top of the depth chart.

Chris Olave played through a hamstring injury against the Atlanta Falcons. Taysom Hill scored both of the team’s first two touchdowns before exiting with a ribs issue. That meant an even heavier workload than normal for Alvin Kamara, and a wider range of responsibilities for Rashid Shaheed. And Allen needs to see other guys pulling their weight.

“We got to find some other guys that can make plays for us other than Alvin, Olave, Taysom,” Allen said Monday, looking back at Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. “I thought Rashid did some good things from an offensive perspective.”

Shaheed obviously made a big mistake on special teams by muffing an early punt which Atlanta recovered for a touchdown, but he did catch 8 of his 11 targets for 83 yards. That trailed Olave’s 8 receptions (on 10 targets) and 87 yards for the team lead. Kamara had 77 rushing yards and 42 receiving yards. Some more options would be nice.

Maybe Kendre Miller can provide a spark, but he has a lot to prove after missing all of training camp and the first four games with a hamstring injury. Allen has said before that he’s anxious to see whether Miller has even picked up the offense without taking any practice reps in it.

One obvious pick to step up? Juwan Johnson. He’s been a non-factor at best in Klint Kubiak’s offense, which was the case for him during most of last season, too. If he can’t get open and catch passes they need to find someone who can.

It’s disappointing when you look at their recent draft history and see guys like Miller, A.T. Perry, and Bub Means watching so many games in sweatpants. Allen is right that players need to step up outside their top talents. At the same time, the players he and his staff have drafted are not meeting expectations. They aren’t going to sign any free agents who can outplay guys already in the building, and it’s not looking like they’ll be in position to make a bold trade before the deadline in November. But if Allen’s comments are anything to go by, something is about to change.

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