Alvin Kamara will miss his second consecutive game with a knee injury. The Saints have a backup plan, having traded for Mark Ingram on Oct. 27.
The Saints traded for Ingram after Tony Jones was injured, with the idea of having Ingram spell Kamara. But now, Ingram is back to being the team’s featured back.
He played 57 of 67 offensive snaps and had 18 touches for 108 yards. It was the most snaps Ingram has had since a 2015 game against Tennessee when he played 67 plays and his third-most touches of the season.
“I don’t remember the last time I played that many snaps,” Ingram said, via Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune. “But it felt good not to have to look to the sideline after every single play to see if I’m staying in or going out. I got into a good rhythm, a good feel of the game. It was a good feeling.
“So my body felt good. Just typical game soreness. And I’ll continue to recover and be ready to roll by Sunday. It feels good.”
Ingram will play 18 consecutive weeks this season without a bye week. The Texans hadn’t had their bye when Ingram was traded, and the Saints had already had theirs.
Ingram relishes every opportunity he gets.
“I get another game to run up some more yards,” Ingram said. “So yeah, we’ll look at it like that.”
Ingram now is the Saints’ all-time leading rusher, surpassing Deuce McAllister. He has 6,124 rushing yards with New Orleans, though Kamara has 3,870 in five seasons with the Saints and a chance to break it eventually.
“It’s just longevity,” Ingram said. “It’s just being blessed with health and a work ethic, and a surrounding, supporting team. And I think that all kind of contributes and goes into it. So yeah, just still going. I feel good, feel like I’m playing some of my best football in my career right now.”
