The New Orleans Saints are officially down their lead back, with Travis Etienne landing on injured reserve this Thursday. This isn’t just a bump in the road, either. Coach Kellen Moore had to make the tough call after Etienne’s hamstring injury in the Week 3 loss to the Raiders, and now the dude is out for at least four weeks, with the earliest he can even think about returning being November 8 against the Browns. Talk about a gut punch when you’re trying to make a move in the division.
Etienne’s Hamstring Nightmare Just Got Real
This isn’t some fresh tweak. Etienne was already dealing with a hamstring issue *before* he aggravated it against Las Vegas. You just knew that was going to be a problem, right? And now it is. Putting him on IR forces him to miss those four minimum weeks, ripping a huge hole in the Saints’ offense right when they need everyone healthy. They started the season 1-2, and while they could take sole possession of first place in the NFC South with a win against the Falcons on Monday night, losing a player like Etienne absolutely kills momentum. What a disaster.
Kamara’s Struggles and the Rookie’s Shot
So, who steps up? The Saints are looking at Alvin Kamara, but let’s be real, his production has taken a dip the last few years. The man’s only got an abysmal 2.8 yards per carry on his 18 attempts this season, and he’s *also* just working his way back from an injury himself. This isn’t the Kamara we know, and that 2.8 YPC number? That tells you everything you need to know about the state of their run game right now. Kendre Miller and rookie CJ Donaldson are gonna have to step up big time, because they’re likely to see a ton of action. This injury to Etienne was definitely not what the Saints needed heading into a crucial divisional game.
Heading into that Monday night clash against the rival Falcons, the Saints are in a tough spot. They’ve got a shot at first place, but without Etienne and with Kamara struggling, they’re going to need Miller and Donaldson to light it up. Can they figure out this backfield mess and pull off a win when it matters most?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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