Who was the Saints’ breakout player from Week 7?

The New Orleans Saints’ week 7 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars resulted in a 31-24 loss for New Orleans. The Saints had various opportunities to take the lead and even win this game, finding themselves with a prime opportunity to score at the end of the 4th quarter. However, they could not convert this trip into points, which facilitated this loss. With that, we continue our weekly series by choosing one player who broke out in the previous game, and going over why their contributions were so critical to the game.

This week, we have a player who has proven to be a valuable piece to the RB room for a long time with the Saints. So, we have selected running back Alvin Kamara as the breakout player of the game, and here’s why:

Success both in receiving and rushing

We have seen it time and time again with Alvin Kamara, where he is able to impact the game both with his ability to rush and receive the ball. This week, we saw his versatility in full effect, as he had more touches than pretty much anyone else on the offense. After missing the first three games of the season suspended, this type of success for Kamara is extremely impressive given that fact.

Kamara ended the day with 17 rushes for 62 yards (3.6 yards per carry) as well as 12 receptions for 91 yards. He also had a two-point conversion to tie the game at 24-24. It is also clear that he has taken on a bigger role than ever before as a locker room presence, with many interviews being directed his way lately, and it is clear that he is held to a high regard by the team and by his teammates. This was on full display at the end of the game, where TE Foster Moreau dropped a pass that would have tied the game at 31 a piece, and you could tell he felt horrible about it. Kamara went over to him postgame, hugged him, and walked off with him. While this seems like a small thing, it shows that Alvin recognizes that the team needs to succeed together and when they fall, someone needs to be there to pick them back up.

Kamara also currently leads all RBs in receptions despite only playing four games so far. He has 35 currently, while the next highest (as of Monday pre-MNF) are Josh Jacobs, D’Andre Swift, and Bijan Robinson who each have 26 a piece. It is clear that Alvin is the focal point of this offense, and his success will need to continue to see success with the team long-term.

Honorable Mentions

With this article, despite a tough loss, there are also some players worth noting who were not chosen for this. While they had good games in their own right, they may also either be already established as successful this season or just had a slightly lesser impact on the overall game. This week, those players are:

• Cameron Erving - RT - Cameron Erving was exceptionally impressive for the Saints in week 7, and frankly, with how the OL has performed this season, it kind of came out of nowhere. Erving played all 90 offensive snaps and only allowed one pressure on the night with 0 sacks allowed and 0 penalties. For someone who hasn’t played more than 3 snaps of right tackle since 2016, that was unforeseen, and frankly should net him a roster spot.
• Paulson Adebo - CB - Adebo had an all-around solid night for the Saints, putting together 5 tackles, 2 pass deflections, 3 receptions allowed on 5 targets (30 yards), and no touchdowns allowed. Overall, a solid game for Adebo, who has needed a good game after a couple that were less than optimal.

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