For all of the excitement around an Alvin Kamara-Travis Etienne pairing in the New Orleans Saints backfield, the conversation has mostly centered around whether or not we get to see it. If we do, we may also see the return of an explosive Kamara. He told media he still has that juice earlier this week.
It was all smiles and laughs when trying to determine who would be the boom and zoom between Kamara and Etienne. There was no more joking when Kamara was asked if he still had the "zoom" left. Not irritated but serious, Kamara confidently assured media that he's still got it. Saints fans would like to see it. They haven't seen the zoom from him in years.
Etienne is the key to Saints fans getting their wish. Kamara will be the secondary back of the duo, so he'll receive less touches. Less touches should result in him being more fresh. Without the load of carrying the run game, Kamara's fresher legs could result in more big play ability. Less wear and tear on a weekly basis could open Kamara up for more receiving opportunities as well as being a more efficient runner.
Saints fans haven't seen an explosive Alvin Kamara since the Sean Payton days
Kamara has never been a speedster, so he wasn't the player you expected to blast through the gap into the open field for a 60 yard run. He's actually only had one run longer than 50 yards, and that was in his rookie year. While he didn't have that in his repertoire, Kamara used to be a big play machine. We haven't even seen that since 2021.
The departure of Sean Payton is both a benchmark and catalyst for the dip in explosive plays. It's impossible to put that all on Payton, but coaches have struggled to use Kamara, specifically in the pass game. Drew Brees left a year prior to that, but his departure also hurt Kamara's explosiveness as a receiver. He had great chemistry and timing with Kamara. No coach or quarterback has been able to replicate it since.
It's almost difficult to believe Kamara still has those big plays in him. In the last four years, he's only had two receptions of over 40 yards. Most notably, Kamara hasn't had a 30 yard run in four seasons.
Both of these issues can be explained. Kamara is still elusive. We've seen him make defenders miss, but it hasn't been enough open space for big plays in the passing game. The increase in weapons could help with spacing. The offensive line has struggled with blocking, which is why Audric Estime was the first running back in years to have a 30 yard run. The Saints have now bolstered the front line.
It all comes back down to Kamara's ability to take advantage of those improvements, and having Etienne should help him do that.
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