Could Saints hand keys to rookie Alvin Kamara after Ingram’s fumbling issues?
Saints RB Mark Ingram came out of the week 5 bye looking hot. Now, rookie RB Alvin Kamara is close on his heels.
Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara have both provided firepower for the Saints halfway through this 2017 season. Ingram finished Week 6 with 150 yards and 2 touchdowns, and followed it up with another 109 yards and a touchdown in Week 7. But fumbles on back-to-back possessions late in the fourth quarter against the Bears may have landed him in the doghouse.
Ingram almost single-handedly cost the Saints this game. Both of his fumbles came from within the Bears’ 26 yard line. It’s safe to assume that at the very least Saints kicker Will Lutz would have made field goals on both possessions.
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Chicago capitalized on Ingram’s first turnover to the tune of 6 points (their 2-point conversion was unsuccessful).
Effectively, Ingram was responsible for a 12-point swing over the final 7:41 of Sunday’s game.
He now has almost as many fumbles (3) as he does touchdowns (4) on the season. That could spell trouble for the veteran back, as second-stringer Alvin Kamara continues to thrive.
Kamara is a perfect fit for the Saints system, equally adept running between the tackles or running routes downfield. On a per-touch basis, he vastly outshines his counterpart:
All stats as per nfl.com
Kamara has averaged 6.85 yards per touch this year – that number drops to 4.77 when Ingram gets the ball. Ingram has nearly double the amount of touches that Kamara has this season, but only has a 154-yard lead on him.
Next: Saints midseason report card: the offense
Will Sean Payton teach Ingram a lesson in ball security by giving the starting nod to Kamara? There is precedent for that type of thing.
If the Saints do decide to dole out a larger dose of Kamara this Sunday, it could be the launch point for his young career.
Whatever the case, it’ll be an interesting watch. The Saints host the Bucs on Sunday.