Alvin Kamara said the New Orleans Saints had to "get back to our swagger" after a 2-5 start.
“We gotta get back to our swagger” - AK
— NOF (@nofnetwork) October 24, 2022
Following a 24-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in which Kamara starred, it's safe to say the Saints got it back, and have enough to make a run toward the playoffs.
Kamara entered the game putting up decent stats, but for the first time in his career, it wasn't translating to victories. He had 77 carries for 351 yards and added 24 catches for 191 yards entering Sunday's game. His zero touchdowns were a major sticking point and with trade rumors swirling around him, some were wondering if Sunday would be his last game in a Saints uniform.
A resounding victory put those rumors to bed and repositioned New Orleans as a contender in the NFC South.
Kamara ran 18 times for 62 yards and a touchdown. He truly shined as a pass catcher, finishing with nine catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns. It was his most catches in a game since Oct. 25 of last year against Seattle.
Alvin Kamara scored all three touchdowns in the Saints' 24-0 victory over the Raiders, leading the team on the ground and through the air.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 30, 2022
Kamara earned a season-high 50.0% success rate on his 18 carries and gained +23 YAC over expected on 9 receptions.#LVvsNO | #Saints pic.twitter.com/HNEBuseOds
AK TD #LVvsNO | : CBS pic.twitter.com/tm6HSNwL1C
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 30, 2022
That Alvin Kamara balance is different #LVvsNO | : CBS pic.twitter.com/HeErDzhsWr
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 30, 2022
Alvin Kamara with his 3rd TD of the day
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 30, 2022
Dalton to Kamara for the 36-yard TD #LVvsNO | : CBS pic.twitter.com/eM61FEMsSg
Alvin Kamara is the first player in NFL history to record 10 games with at least 1 rushing and 1 receiving TD in his first 6 seasons. #Saints @Saints @A_kamara6
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) October 30, 2022
Most teams at 3-5 wouldn't have their sights on a division title but New Orleans is only a game back in the dreadful NFC South. The Atlanta Falcons lead at 4-4 and are severely overperforming expectations. If they are who we think they are, these are the best of times for Atlanta. They are 27th in Pro Football Focus' power rankings.
In their victory, the Saints rediscovered the swagger they had when they won four straight division titles from 2017-2020. That could be bad news for the rest of the division.
"Swag is consistency," said Kamara after the game, per ESPN's Katherine Terrell.
If this win is the start of New Orleans getting its swag back for good, they might just get the NFC South back, too.
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