Alvin Kamara’s bounce back game comes at the right time

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WVUE) - Since he entered the league as rookie in 2017, Alvin Kamara’s been as charismatic as he is productive on the field, making him a fan favorite. So it was no surprise that as he he hit a scoring slump this season, his lack of big numbers became one of the biggest talking points.

But on Sunday, that all came to an end in Tennessee when he found the end zone, twice, for the first time since week three. The first coming on a 40-yarder to give the Saints their first lead of the game.

“When he (Brees) called it, I just stayed true to the read,” says Kamara. “Terron (Armstead) and those guys on the front side did what they had to do. Back side got their blocks. It was wide open for me. All I had to do was run.”

“More than anything else, it’s just continuing to find the spots and things that he does well, and there’s a lot of them in the passing game and run game,” says head coach Sean Payton.

If numbers are your thing, then it might be touchdowns that caught your eye most with Kamara, but one of the biggest plays he made was on the Saints first score of the day, a 61-yard strike from Brees to Jared Cook, where Kamara held a key block to get Cook cleanly into the end zone.

“It was a big touchdown,” says Kamara. “I think we needed a spark, and he provided that. It was a big play, and I think we got juiced up after that.”

“It was huge, and I thanked him a boatload for it,” says Cook. “Kevin Byard was the single safety back. He was able to get in front of him. I set the block up inside, and he just stayed on him inside. I appreciate that, AK.”

But most of all, it was good to see Kamara with the spring in his step in space again, and not just on his 40-yard touchdown run. He looked most like his regular self on a short pass in the third quarter where he turned a quick catch into a first down.

“It felt good,” says Kamara. “I think that was one of those plays that I’m used to having that I just haven’t had these last couple of weeks. Just a little healthier and feeling better.”

And for the Saints, there's no better sight to see than one of your most electric play-making weapons finding his form again just as the playoffs arrive.

“This is a team that still can improve, and I think that’s going to be important when we get into the tournament with better teams and single elimination,” says Payton.

“A win is a win," says Kamara. “We found a way to get some rhythm and get momentum going. The defense did what they had to do and gave us some life, and we fed off of it.”

And if they turn out a similar type of performance next week in Carolina, it could result in a first-round bye and possibly home-field advantage in the playoffs.

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