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NEW ORLEANS — A bad break unwittingly provided a helping hand to a broken down New Orleans Saints running game Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

With Darren Sproles on the sideline nursing a broken left hand, fresh-legged running back Chris Ivory saw his first action of the season and joined running mates Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram to pump some life into a dormant phase of the Saints offense.

Ivory (48), Ingram (44) and Thomas (44) combined for 136 yards rushing, sparking the Saints to a crucial 28-13 victory against the slumping Eagles before a sellout crowd of 73,099 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Throw in a short run from fifth-string running back Travaris Cadet, and the Saints amassed 140 yards rushing for their second-most productive game on the ground this season, trailing only the 162-yard output in a Game 2 road loss against the Carolina Panthers.

The Saints (3-5) entered Monday night’s game with the NFL’s 32nd-ranked rushing offense, averaging 72.6 yards through the first seven games. Though no individual running back eclipsed the 50-yard mark, the group accounted for nearly double the team’s previous average.

And it all started with Ivory, the subject of trade rumors right up to last Thursday’s trade deadline. He rushed for a team-high 48 yards on 10 carries, including a nifty 22-yard scoring run that boosted the Saints’ lead to 14-3 with 8:33 remaining in the first half.

“I waited eight weeks for this,’’ Ivory said. “I cherish it, and I’ve just got to move on from tonight. I had a lot of energy tonight for obvious reasons, but playing on Monday Night Football gives you a lot of energy.

“It felt good to be able to contribute tonight and not just standing on the sideline watching. I just wanted to make something happen when I got an opportunity, and I got that opportunity tonight.’’

Read more: New Orleans Saints find run game in win over Philadelphia Eagles | Saints | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

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