3 reasons Latavius Murray must get the ball in Week 7 against the Bears

Latavius Murray is set to make a large impact for the Saints with Alvin Kamara ruled out for Sunday’s Week 7 dust-up with the Chicago Bears.

For the Saints’ upcoming Week 7 matchup with the Chicago Bears, playmakers Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook have been officially ruled out. Kamara is dealing with both an ankle injury, sustained last week in practice, and a knee injury, which occurred during last Sunday’s game at Jacksonville.

With the recent addition of RB Zach Zenner, the Saints have seemingly already been preparing for time missed by their star running back.

So, what does that mean for the Saints offense on Sunday, where they will go against one of the NFL’s premier defenses. Since Kamara can’t suit up, then it’s Latavius Murray time! The RB2 has been relatively leashed behind Kamara this year. Here are three reasons why he needs to get the ball.

 A dangerous weapon out of the backfield

The Saints’ offense struggled for most of the game last week against the Jaguars. Kamara didn’t look nearly as quick and shifty as he normally. After Kamara injured his knee, Latavius Murray was forced into a larger role as he set the pace for the Saints offense.

Murray rushed for 44 yards on eight attempts (5.5 avg) on top of three receptions for 35 yards, all while having a long touchdown reception called back for holding. His sudden burst of production when called upon proves why the Saints signed him to a four-year, $14.4-million-dollar contract.

With the loss of both Kamara and Jared Cook, Sean Payton will definitely need to use his play calling ability to make a game plan around Murray, creating an opportunity for him to shine.

Powerful Runner

When an offense is struggling in the passing game, they still have to keep the ball moving and Teddy Bridgewater loses a big target in Jared Cook. Having a power back who can run behind a top offensive line to grind out tough yardage is exactly what the Saints need right now.

With Latavius Murray originally being brought in to fill the void left by running back Mark Ingram, the ability to be an early down runner can set up manageable yards to go on second and third down. That should keep Teddy Bridgewater and the offense driving down the field.

Redzone finisher

During Drew Brees’ absence, the one thing that has stayed the same is the redzone efficiency by the Saints offense. They rank 27th in the league at 44.44-percent. When they have to rely on quick passes and outside runs, it becomes very hard to put the ball in the end zone.

Murray’s ability to run downfield is certainly effective in the 20s and causes defenses to stack the box. That allows players like Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. to get free from their defenders which can lead to increased offensive production in the red zone.

Being able to hand it off to a back like Latavius Murray in the redzone opens up the field and the playbook allowing the Saints to be able to compete against the likes of Khalil Mack and the Bears defense.