Alvin Kamara is “all but certain” to be active for the New Orleans Saints’ Week 2 showdown against the Baltimore Ravens. Man, if that isn’t the biggest news for an offense that just looked plain horrible for a whole half last week, I don’t know what is. After dropping their Week 1 matchup to the Detroit Lions, the Saints really need Kamara back in the mix to ignite things, especially with that running back room looking like a messy puzzle.
The Week 1 Backfield Nightmare and Shough’s Struggles
Listen, the Saints’ offense with Tyler Shough at QB was a tough watch in the first half against the Lions. Seriously, it was bad, but hey, they did turn it around in the second half and overtime. Still, the biggest head-scratcher was that running back split. Travis Etienne Jr., the big-money free agent they brought in, just didn’t get the huge role everyone expected. He only ran the ball nine times for 46 yards. Keandre Miller also got nine carries, picking up 30 yards and punching in a touchdown. And then CJ Donaldson chipped in with two runs for four yards. Where was the clear lead back everyone anticipated? This early in the season, you gotta establish an identity, right? That wasn’t it.
Even in the passing game, it felt disjointed. Etienne caught seven of nine targets for 32 yards, which is okay, but Donaldson had one catch for negative two yards. The real kicker? Shough had to throw the ball 56 times! That’s a ton of passes, and it tells you everything you need to know about how the ground game was or wasn’t working. It looked like they were scrambling, trying anything to get back in it. You just can’t win consistently like that.
Kamara’s Comeback: What It Means for Week 2
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Saints Head Coach Kellen Moore let it slip that Kamara “probably could’ve played” against the Lions. They just held him out because he had “limited time on task” with the team. That’s a coach protecting his star, and it makes sense. But the good news for Saints fans? Moore says Kamara’s got a “good shot to play” in Week 2, especially after he had “full Wednesday practice participation.”
So, what does this actually mean for that already questionable running back split? It’s about to get even more divided, but in a way that should make the offense way more dangerous. Kamara is a beast in the passing game, and that’s where he’s most likely to make an immediate impact. You can bet Etienne’s nine targets from Week 1 are going to drop, because Kamara is going to soak up some of that passing work. And honestly, Shough just isn’t going to be throwing 56 times again, not if they can help it. This upcoming Ravens matchup is going to be tough, and throwing the ball more might be their play to keep up. That’s a perfect spot for Kamara to step right in and make things happen.
The Saints need to bounce back after that Week 1 loss. Facing the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, they’re going to need all hands on deck. Seeing Kamara out there, making plays and splitting that backfield, is going to be a huge boost. It’s time to see what this offense can really do with their full arsenal.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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