The New Orleans Saints finally got Alvin Kamara back in the lineup. Now they are holding their breath again. Saints running back Kamara left Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons with a knee injury in the first quarter and never returned. He got twisted up on a tackle along the sideline, visited the medical tent multiple times, and was ruled out after just a handful of snaps. Before exiting, Kamara logged 3 carries for 11 yards and 2 catches for 4 yards.
The early read, at least, brought a little relief. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Kamara is believed to have suffered a knee sprain, with further tests scheduled. Nick Underhill and NFLTradeRumors later specified it as an MCL sprain, noting that the veteran appears to have avoided a major injury and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity.
Without Alvin Kamara, the Saints’ offense looked exactly like a unit missing its engine. New Orleans failed to score an offensive touchdown, with its only trip to the end zone coming on a 49-yard interception return by safety Justin Reid. Quarterback Tyler Shough finished 30-of-43 for 243 yards and an interception, took 5 sacks, and lost a fumble. Chris Olave caught 9 passes for 70 yards, while Devin Neal managed 7 carries for 18 yards and added 5 receptions for 43 yards in relief. The Saints ran for just 79 yards on 28 attempts and went 5-of-16 on third down via the ESPN Box Score.
On the other side, the Atlanta Falcons did just enough. Quarterback Kirk Cousins went 16-of-23 for 199 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, hitting David Sills V for a 9-yard score and Darnell Mooney for the 49-yard dagger in the fourth quarter. Bijan Robinson paced the ground game with 70 rushing yards on 14 carries, and Zane Gonzalez drilled three field goals, including makes from 56 and 54 yards.
For a 2-9 Saints team already fighting uphill, the story now shifts from another ugly loss to one question. How long will Alvin Kamara be out, and can this offense function without him for any stretch at all?
