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.
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.
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara surpassed Deuce McAllister in Week 3 to rank second among the Saints’ all-time rushing yards leaders:
The New Orleans Saints’ 15-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 somewhat overshadowed some of the positive things that had happened, including Tyrann Mathieu tying for second place with his 35th interception among active players. It’s tough to say much was positive for the offense when they only scored a dozen points, but some individuals did pass important milestones.
One of them was Alvin Kamara surpassing Deuce McAllister in career rushing yards with the Saints, moving him up to second behind his old teammate Mark Ingram II. Kamara entered the game trailing McAllister by 69 rushing yards, and with 87 yards on the ground, he ended the day 18 yards ahead.
Even more impressively, Kamara did this on 53 fewer rushing attempts than McAllister. He has a decent margin remaining to get up to first place, however, with Ingram sitting at exactly 6,500 rushing yards for New Orleans, while Kamara checks in at 6,114. For Kamara to reach Ingram on the same amount of rushing attempts, he would need to average around 5.1 yards per carry on his next 75 attempts, which is pretty unreasonable given his hot start to the season. With only 386 more yards to go, he could feasibly find his way to the top of the list this season however, which is a fun stat to keep an eye on throughout the year.
Alvin Kamara has now joined the NFL’s 6,000 Yards Club. He’s gaining ground on Mark Ingram and Deuce McAllister:
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has officially joined the NFL’s 6,000 yards club with his standout performance in the 44-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Kamara finished with 2 catches for 65 yards and 1 touchdown, also recording 115 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on 20 carries. It was also his seventh career game with 3 touchdowns or more.
He is now the third player in franchise history to cross the 6,000-yard mark with a total of 6,027 yards, joining the likes of Deuce McAllister (6,096) and Mark Ingram II (6,500). He’s on track to pass both of those names this season if he can gain at least 474 more yards. That’s an average of 31.6 yards per game over the next 15 matchups, but he’s totaled 198 rushing yards through the first two weeks. He’ll get there by Week 7 at his current pace.
So far this season, Kamara totals 35 carries for 198 yards with 4 touchdowns. Known for his versatility, he’s also been a force out of the backfield in the passing game, catching all 7 passes he has been targeted on this season for 92 yards with 1 touchdown.
Kamara and the Saints will look to keep up the same level of success as they return home to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 22 at Noon CT.
Really great insight into #Michigan’s run game from the Alabama great. #GoBlue
ANN ARBOR, Mich. —Â If Michigan football is going to beat Texas on Saturday, it will need the most out of its run game. And though many are writing off senior running back Donovan Edwards after a rough Week 1 — matching much of the 2023 season output — Fox Sports analyst Mark Ingram says, wait — Edwards should be a focal point of the game plan.
But the Wolverines need to use him smartly.
We talked to Ingram on the Fox ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ set on Friday and he believes that the best way to get Edwards going would be to play him to his strengths instead of unnecessarily running him in between the tackles.
“I think they need to utilize him and his skill set, his ability,” Ingram said. “He’s great as a receiver, he’s great — he’s throwing passes, he’s great on the edges, he’s great in space. They need to utilize his playmaking ability and what he’s good at, his strength, and need to incorporate it within the offense so he can be successful. Need to put him in a position to have success, and that’s getting him the ball on the edges, where he could use his speed, where he uses more of that ability to make explosive plays. Because they’re going to need that explosion in the offense, not only tomorrow, throughout the whole season.”
In ranked matchups where Edwards has carried the ball at least five times, his average load is 16 carries for 139 yards (8.63 yards per carry). Something about the brightest lights seem to make him come alive. We saw it in 2022 against Penn State, Ohio State, and TCU; and in 2023 in the national championship game.
Ingram notes that it’s difficult getting and staying in rhythm from time to time but he needs to continue to keep his head up as his time will come.
“Man, it’s just tough as a running back,” Ingram said. “It’s not always going to be blocked the right way when you get — sometimes the blocking scheme will be different when another running back’s carrying the ball. Somebody might miss blocks. It’s part of being a runner. You just have to stay patient, stay committed, and you have to control what you can control. And that’s your attitude, that’s your demeanor on every single play coming out the huddle.
“And he’s done a great job of that — overcoming adversity, growing, maturing as a back, and he’s a great player. And I think the team needs to do a great job of putting him in a position to have success because he has great game-breaking ability, big, explosive playability, and the offense is going to need that. And Donovan’s done a great job of growing and maturing as a player, and he’ll show it throughout the season.”
If it’s not Edwards carrying the ball, it will be Kalel Mullings, who converted from linebacker a few years back. Now potentially set to get No. 1 type carries, Ingram lit up when discussing Mullings’ upside and what he brings to the table.
“I think linebacker and running back are very similar. They’re basically the running backs of the defense,” Ingram said. “They kind of got to be patient, see the hole, hit the hole, and obviously he’s done a great job transitioning over. He’s just a physical back. They could turn around, hand it to him, and he could wear down the defense, soften up the defense, and that’s when you can utilize Donovan to come in and have explosive plays later or play action pass.
“The running game is going to be critical for Michigan. So Kalel Mullings, getting Donovan Edwards going, if the running game could be efficient and effective for Michigan, they’ll be able to have success in the game, especially with the inexperience at quarterback. It’ll help him not have to play a perfect game. So they definitely need Kalel Mullings, definitely need Donovan Edwards — the offensive line needs to get going so this offense could be productive tomorrow.”
Now this is cool. Reggie Bush teased his appearance in Nissan’s popular “Heisman House” ad campaign with a video on Twitter showing him hanging a portrait from his USC Trojans days on display alongside other Heisman Trophy winners — while wearing his old USC jersey, too.
It’s been a long time coming. The former New Orleans Saints star running back was finally welcomed back into the Heisman Trust’s good graces this year, and he’s eager to make up for lost time. Bush was one of the most exciting college football players of his generation and he rightfully won the Heisman Trophy for his efforts on the gridiron. Now he gets to enjoy the same opportunities as other award-winners.
We’re down to just 36 days until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season — little over a month. And Mark Ingram II’s 36-yard fourth-quarter run is our choice for the Saints Play of the Day.
Ingram nearly flipped the field to help knock out the defending Super Bowl champs in the 2018 divisional round. The Philadelphia Eagles had jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, but the Saints fought back to tie it up. Drew Brees threw a couple of clutch touchdown passes to Keith Kirkwood and Michael Thomas. A 45-yard field goal by Wil Lutz helped them close the gap before halftime, and Brees’ second touchdown lob to Thomas gave them the lead.
Then Ingram went to work to kick off the fourth quarter. He took the handoff on first-and-10 and sprinted through the Eagles secondary until they brought him down 36 yards later, effectively flipping the field; the New Orleans offense moved from their own 37-yard line to the Philadelphia 27. The Saints ultimately had to settle for another Lutz field goal, from 39 yards out this time, but it was enough to win the day. Nick Foles threw a pass that slipped through Alshon Jeffery’s hands and into Marshon Lattimore’s for the game-winning interception.
There are 54 days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season, and our pick for the Saints Play of the Day countdown is something special. The play itself isn’t what stands out so much as what it represents: Deuce McAllister’s record-breaking touchdown run back in 2008.
He’s had flashier plays, including a 54-yard touchdown run against the Atlanta Falcons as a rookie in 2001. But this one capped a career full of hard work and adversity. McAllister followed his blockers left and crashed into the end zone for six points. It was the 54th touchdown McAllister scored in his career, breaking the record set by his predecessor Dalton Hilliard. McAllister would find the end zone one more time before hanging up his cleats, extending his record to 55 touchdowns scored in a Saints uniform.
Of course he himself was later surpassed by other great players — first Mark Ingram II (57) and Marques Colston (72), and now Alvin Kamara (78 and counting). Jimmy Graham returned to the Saints and tied McAllister’s total in 2023. But that doesn’t diminish what McAllister accomplished. That he put so many points on the board without playing with a future Hall of Famer at quarterback for so many years speaks volumes.
He gave fans someone to root for during a tough time in franchise history before passing off the torch to the next generation of star talents. He’s one of the greatest players to ever suit up for the black and gold, and fans who got to see him go to work in his prime were lucky to do so.
There are 60 days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season, which makes Taysom Hill’s 60-yard touchdown run against the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 our Saints Play of the Day. It was the third touchdown run of the afternoon for Hill, and by far his most important. He finished with 112 rushing yards, a career-high, and looked like the best player on the field for New Orleans. He was recognized afterwards as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Hill took the snap out of shotgun in a tight formation without any wideouts on the field. He followed his blockers to the left side, burst into the open field, and at that point, as FOX Sports play-by-play announcer Brandon Gaudin put it, it was a footrace. And Hill won. Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen closed the gap in a hurry and got hands on Hill around the 12-yard line, but Hill shrugged him off and crashed into the end zone for the go-ahead score.
It proved to be pivotal. Mark Ingram ran the two-point conversion in to give the Saints a 39-32 lead, and Dennis Allen’s defense held up. Cameron Jordan sacked Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith on third down for a loss of 14 yards, forcing Seattle to punt from deep inside their own territory with little hope of a comeback. The Seahawks tried to slow down the clock but Alvin Kamara effectively put the game away with a 10-yard gain on 2nd-and-6 at the two-minute warning. Andy Dalton knelt out the clock, and the Saints sent their fans home with a win.
