New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was a revelation in his rookie season in 2017, bursting onto the scene with 1,554 all-purpose yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, finishing as an All-Pro Second Teamer.
Over the years, Kamara’s star has lost some of its shine, as he’s battled various injuries and off-the-field issues. But he’s remained as productive as ever, and this year, he’s enjoyed his highest-volume rushing season yet, taking his 223 carries for 938 yards and six touchdowns while adding another 64 catches, 485 yards, and one score as a receiver.
If New Orleans — two games behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South lead — wants any chance of turning its season around and making the postseason, it needs Kamara to be healthy and productive. The Saints will face a difficult test this week against the surprising Washington Commanders, who sit at 8-5 behind the elite play of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington opened as 7.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook.
New Orleans fans got a scare earlier in the week, as Kamara did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday while dealing with an illness. But he was listed without an injury designation on Friday and will play on Sunday.
Kamara should get plenty of opportunities to perform against the Commanders. With quarterback Derek Carr sidelined with a concussion, the Saints will instead start Jake Haener, a former Washington and Fresno State signal-caller with a grand total of 29 passing attempts to his name, mostly in garbage time relief of Carr. Haener has only completed 14 of those passes for 177 yards and averages just 6.7 air yards per attempt. Saints offensive coordinator Kirk Kubiak likely won’t be expecting Haener to do too much, so he’ll dial up a lot of plays for Kamara.
The eight-year veteran should be especially productive against a Commanders front that has struggled at stopping opposing running backs at times. Washington has conceded 1,781 yards on the ground this season and 4.8 yards per attempt, both bottom-six figures in the NFL. They’ve also given up 13 touchdowns on the ground, tied for the 13th-most in the league. The Commanders have forced eight fumbles this year, tied for fourth-most in football, but the sure-handed Kamara has fumbled just once.
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