Mark Ingram II didn’t say if he likes Kellen Moore, but did assert the New Orleans Saints were at their best with an offensive minded coach like Sean Payton:
Mark Ingram II is just the latest former New Orleans Saints player to share positive words about Kellen Moore, as speculation continues to rise around the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator becoming the next Saints head coach.
However, Ingram’s comments also introduce a new potential layer of pressure waiting for Moore in New Orleans. The former Saints running back didn’t say how he personally felt about Moore, but chose to comment on the stylistic fit in New Orleans.
“I think when Saints were at their best, we had an offensive-minded head coach in Sean Payton,” Ingram told Kay Adams this week. It’s difficult to gauge how Ingram feels about the potential hire, but he does seem to lean towards wanting an offensive-minded head coach.
The problem comes in the form of Payton’s looming shadow. The shadow wouldn’t hang over Moore in the same way it hung over Dennis Allen. Allen was the defensive coordinator under Payton, but Moore would be the first offensive-minded coach since Payton.
There will be some who feel the same way as Ingram. There are already many who see the climate of the NFL, and think offensive minded coaches are the correct choice. For New Orleans, specifically, calling back to the last coach with that type of foundation is natural.
Those comparisons should be fleeting and become nonexistent before the season. Living up to the ghost of Sean Payton immediately will be a near impossible task and is only setting him up to fall short of those standards.
Inevitably, however, there will be a section of fans who make this comparison.
Some New Orleans Saints fans have balked at the idea of picking a running back at ninth overall in this year’s 2025 NFL draft, but don’t count Mark Ingram II in that number. The team’s former leader in touchdown runs and rushing yards is a big fan of Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty. And he sees a scenario where Jeanty could not just coexist with Alvin Kamara, but help the Saints offense get back where it belongs among league leaders.
“Man, I think you’re seeing how pivotal the running back position is. And, given my guy AK is getting up there in nine years, you know, give him a little break so he can be healthy the whole year. Maybe you go running back. Maybe you go pair with him Ashton Jeanty. Whatchu you think about that?” Ingram asked.
Kamara’s most effective seasons as a runner by Pro Football Reference’s stats for Success Rate came in 2018 and 2020, when he had a capable partner to split carries with. In those years Kamara had 12.9 and 12.5 rushing attempts per game, respectively, while Ingram and Latavius Murray each had 11.5 and 9.7. Those are also the years Kamara scored the most touchdowns and gained the most yards from scrimmage, both as a runner and receiver. There’s absolutely room for another talent in the New Orleans backfield.
As for what Jeanty can add to the offense? Ingram says the Heisman Trophy runner-up can do just about everything: “Ashton Jeanty’s just a beast, man, he has juice, he can run the ball inside, run the ball outside, comes out the backfield and he catches it. Why not have another two-headed monster so my guy AK can be thriving again, in New Orleans?”
Those are some good points, but the financials should be considered, too. Kamara is under contract for 2025 and 2026 but could very well enter retirement in 2027. If the Saints draft someone like Jeanty now, they could get through the first two years of their contract as his tag-team partner before taking on the lead role in Year 3. And if the Saints take Ingram’s advice to pick Jeanty at No. 9? They would get a fifth-year option in his contract that ties him to the team through 2029. He turned 21 in December and wouldn’t be in line for a big-money extension until a few months after his 25th birthday, when he’d be hitting his athletic prime.
It isn’t the same as getting a star quarterback on a low-cost rookie contract, but these are the kind of competitive edges the Saints should be chasing when their new head coach begins to remodel the team. If they believe Jeanty can help Kamara finish his career strong before getting promoted to the offensive focal point, he’d be well worth the pick at No. 9.
Mark Ingram was the Baltimore Ravens’ feature back in 2019, Lamar Jackson’s second season in the NFL.
Yacht rock is very trendy these days, and certain songs within this genre contain lyrics of profound wisdom. As Chris Rea told us in 1978, when this easy-listening form of rock and roll was in its heyday, “Fool if you think it’s over, It’s just begun.”
This is the attitude that Ravens fans should take as they start to put the Divisional round loss at Buffalo behind them and move on to the offseason. Barring any significant unforeseen changes, the main components of the core nucleus should be back next fall to make another run at the Super Bowl.
Lamar Jackson is only 27, and Derrick Henry showed us that the cliche “wrong side of 30” doesn’t apply to him. You also have two of the NFL’s best-rising stars under 25 in center Tyler Lindebaum and safety Kyle Hamilton.
The future still looks bright, and former Ravens running back Mark Ingram believes the pieces are all in place.
“They have the team, they have the personnel, they have the coaching, they have the quarterback,” Ingram said in an exclusive with The Sports Daily. “It’s just when it comes to the games that matter the most in the postseason, you can’t beat yourself. That’s what we’ve been seeing happen with the Ravens the past two years.”
Ingram was the Ravens feature back in 2019, Jackson’s second season in the NFL. Teaming with Lamar to form an All-Heisman Trophy-winning backfield, he rushed for over 1,000 yards and 10 TDs that season.
Ingram made the Pro Bowl that season, averaging 5 yards per carry. In the same interview, the Alabama Crimson Tide legend said he reached out to his former teammate, who uncharacteristically committed two turnovers in the playoff elimination loss.
”I talked to Lamar,” Ingram revealed. “I texted him after the game. I just told him to keep his head up.
“I said, ‘You’re the greatest.’ The man is just special. He’s a special talent and despite those turnovers, they had a chance to tie the game and prolong the game in overtime if the defense would have got a stop.”
Ingram said absolutely all the right things in that situation. The reigning NFL MVP is indeed an exceptional talent, and his best football may still be ahead of him. The loss meant that Baltimore dropped 3-4 in Jackson’s playoff games.
While that looks mediocre at first glance, one must remember that winning in the NFL playoffs is extremely difficult. Very few teams and/or players have a winning record in the postseason.
Baltimore running back Derrick Henry just broke the Ravens single-season TD record with a two yard score against the Houston Texans
It’s his first game against Houston as a member of the Ravens, but Derrick Henry has a history against the Texans from his time with the Tennessee Titans. Henry started early, rushing for 26 yards on the first drive, and his two-yard touchdown run made team history.
Henry (15) needed one more touchdown in 2024 to surpass Ray Rice (15 in 2011) and Mark Ingram II (15 in 2019) for the most total touchdowns in Ravens single-season history.
Henry has eight carries for 61 yards (7.6 avg) and one score through the first quarter.
In 14 career games versus Houston, Henry averaged 102.2 yards per contest and 5.66 yards per carry. Henry has exceeded the 200-yard mark in four straight games against the Texans between 2019 and 2022 and eclipsed the century mark in a game twice.
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. — 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.”
