Saints’ Ty Montgomery earned himself a starting RB gig in Week 17

The New Orleans Saints handed the keys of their backfield to veteran receiver/running back combo Ty Montgomery, and he did not disappoint.

Ty Montgomery was called up after all three of the Saints running backs were placed on the Covid-19 list, and he might have just earned himself a starting running back role somewhere this offseason.

The Saints should be hopeful that they’ll get their key players back for their Wild Card matchup with the Chicago Bears, but given what Montgomery showed in Week 17, it may not be the end of the world if they’re still sidelined.

That said, Montgomery got an easier matchup on Sunday, having to travel to Carolina to take on the Panthers.

Montgomery absolutely went off by producing over 100 yards on the ground in just 18 carries. Montgomery ended with 105 yards and was the Saints’ leading rusher. Taysom Hill was the only New Orleans player to get over five carries.

Both Montgomery’s 36-yard long and 5.8 yards-per-carry average were impressive. He was a stable force for the Drew Brees-led offense. He also ended with one reception for a mere two yards.

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This was Montgomery’s second 100-yard performance on his career.

“That’s something he hadn’t done since Dec. 18, 2016, totaling 16 carries for 162 rushing yards and a pair of touchdown runs. He was suiting up for the Green Bay Packers at the time and his skills powered them to a 30-27 win over their longtime rivals, the Chicago Bears.

“Incidentally, that same Bears team is who Montgomery will be playing against next week in the Wild-Card Round,” Saints Wire’s John Sigler wrote.

It came at the perfect time. He had seen time in only six games this season and, after having a solid season in New York, had started to fall off the team’s radar.

Montgomery’s best stint of his career came when he was with the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers. He’s a utility player that can slide to the slot and line up in the backfield, one reason he should be coveted throughout the league.

Montgomery’s future with the team is much better off after his dominant performance. If he is the starting back against the Bears, he may find similar success, despite Chicago being a better rushing defense.

The difference between the two is marginal as the Bears rank 15th in opponent’s rushing yards and the Panthers sit at 20. Week 17 was somewhat of a joke for many teams, and the Panthers were already out of playoff contention.

Hopefully, Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray are back for that matchup so the Saints don’t have a Wild Card exit for a second straight season, but Montgomery proved enough to be a coveted free agent this offseason.