Saints: Winners and losers from Week 8 win over Buccaneers
By Kristen Wong
Winner: Alvin Kamara
The Saints star running back’s stat sheet speaks for itself: 19 carries for 61 yards and one touchdown.
Kamara’s workload wasn’t as heavy as it was in Week 7, but he still provided the spark to a New Orleans offense that has looked dazed and confused for much of the season. Just give him a shovel already, because he continues to dig the Saints out of various sized holes throughout the game. Seriously, what would the Saints do without him?
But his perennial Pro Bowl experience and all-around greatness had the perfect complement this game in the Saints’ new RB2…
Winner: Mark Ingram
Raise your hand if seeing Kamara and Ingram on the field again brought a tear to your eye.
Ingram recorded just six carries for 27 yards on Sunday, but the moment he got his first touch, the crowd went wild. Kamara and Ingram’s chemistry is one many teams’ RB rooms could only wish for, and Ingram picked up right where he left off as a dependable backup to New Orleans’ rushing leader.
Ingram’s expected usage and production will likely vary in the next few games, but he had a solid (and emotional) re-debut against the Buccaneers.
Winner: Deonte Harris
See also: the best wide receiver on the team.
While Marquez Callaway has had some incredible highlights this year, Harris reminded fans why he’s better than the rest of the Saints’ pitiful WR room. He finished the game with three catches for 35 yards, bested by only Kevin White whose anomalous performance consisted of a single catch for 38 yards.
Yes, we know Tre’Quan Smith scored a touchdown this game, but Harris is the clear winner of the wide receiver corps here. As a bonus, Harris is especially effective on special teams and trick plays, displaying a natural shiftiness and every-down reliability in his game that makes him arguably a more valuable target than the boom-or-bust Michael Thomas. A controversial take, we know.
Winner: Brian Johnson
Johnson missed an extra point attempt, but he regained the favor of Saints fans everywhere with his clutch field goal to put New Orleans ahead by two with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The Virginia Tech product finished 3-of-3 for field goal attempts with a long of 35 and 3-of-4 for extra point attempts.
A long list of Saints’ kickers have come and gone this season, but hopefully Johnson can stay the course.
Winner: PJ Williams
Williams deserves a spot on the winner list mostly for his game-clinching touchdown late in the fourth. The safety picked Brady off and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with 1:24 left.
Williams actually moved to a new position this season — after years of playing cornerback, the team decided he could be more valuable as a safety. The transition worked out, clearly, as Williams intercepted a pass from one of the greatest QBs in the league in a very pivotal moment.
His defensive touchdown caused Saints fans to breathe a long sigh of relief, and afterward, stew over one of New Orleans’ most blatant mistakes of the game…