The Saints organization's caricature dubbed Alvin Kamara as the "Touchdown King!" We'll definitely see that Kamara float in the upcoming Mardi Gras parades. Few would dispute Alvin Kamara's outstanding exploits. He "walks the walk," thus giving him the authority to "talk the talk" with teammates and coaches on the sidelines and in the locker room.
Kamara has consistently played at the highest level in the NFL. Dennis Allen gave the Saints all-time touchdowns leader the game ball from Sunday's 34-0 victory over the Patriots.
"When we do it together, everybody wins," Kamara told his teammates in the locker room following the win. "It don't matter, we all got a ball. That's what it should feel like. I said it last week. It should be like that every week. Get used to that feeling. It's a formula to it. That's what the outcome is, man. Keep doing what you're supposed to do. Keep doing the little things. Keep focusing on us. That's it! That's how we're going to stack wins. Let's keep stacking them. Let's go!"
He led the team's offensive production with 22 carries for 80 yards and three receptions for 17 yards. Kamara's leadership was absent during his three-game suspension; but, the void may have been more noticeable in the locker room than the field.
Transitioning from college to the complicated New Orleans offense was effortless for Kamara, thanks to one key element — his intelligence. Following Tennessee's Pro Day, Sean Payton coveted the chance to draft the Vols' running back because of his recall during the workout session. If you listen closely to AK over the years, he's a student of the game, especially the Saints offense. Hence, he knew it was time to address the pending issues.
"Like I said, we've got to have some conversations about something," Kamara told the media at his locker after losing to Tampa Bay in Week 4. "Because I don't like losing." A week later, New Orleans dismantled New England 34-0 with a dominant defensive performance. Still, the offense clicked, but was it clicking on all cylinders?
"Anytime you find yourself in a lull or a rut, in anything, but, obviously, in this game, in this sport, you gotta find a way to fix it fast," Kamara said in his post-game comments. Focusing on the passing game instead of effectively using the rushing attack run may have hampered Carr in Weeks 3 and 4. "I mean when we can run the ball efficiently. It just opens everything up," Kamara noted. Hopefully, in Week 6 at Houston, New Orleans will finally have Jamaal Williams and Kamara together in the Saints backfield with rookie Kendre Miller.
Accountability and collaboration are the themes for Kamara and the Saints as they look to stack another "W" in the column against the Texans on Sunday. "But, anytime we can go out there and collaborate, I think me and Derek were talking all game. I was going to Pete, kind of trying to nudge him to run some things that Mike [Thomas] likes, that the O-line likes. Some things that I saw that I like. Talking to JT, talking to RC, just collaborating and, doing what everybody's comfortable with doing."
New Orleans enters the Houston game as a 2.5-point favorite against a team growing in confidence. Rookie quarterback CJ Stroud and first-year head coach Demeaco Ryans have the Texans very competitive in the previous three contests. Winning in Houston won't be a cakewalk for the Saints. Working together will be a key to leaving NRG Stadium with the win.
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