WhoDat!656

Coming into the NFL as a Heisman trophy winner, Mark Ingram had fairly high expectations. He went late in the first round to the New Orleans Saints, and joined a team that was built around passing. Ingram didn’t join the Saints as a guy who would be a workhorse, he joined a team that had multiple running backs that split time on a pass-heavy offense. Safe to say, he hasn’t exactly gotten a ton of carries in his first two seasons.

It’s too early to tell if Ingram is yet another Heisman bust in the NFL, because we simply haven’t seen a large enough sample size. Over his first two seasons, Ingram has rushed the ball 278 times for 1076 yards, and found the end zone on 10 occasions.

Where Ingram hasn’t fit in with the Saints – the passing game. He’s only caught 17 passes for 75 yards in two seasons. Not exactly what you’d expect from an eligible receiver in New Orleans…

However, I don’t really view that as a bad thing. Ingram is what he is – a running back. He’s a very versatile back, with a good mix of speed and power. He’s an Emmitt Smith-type of running back, that’s just going to get the job done.

I think the Saints need to give Ingram more carries in 2013. It’s time for him to be a bigger part of their offense, because it’s one in desperate need of some balance. Ingram has averaged 10 attempts per game so far in his career, and that number should increase to somewhere between 15 – 20.

Mark Ingram is the best true running back the Saints have, and it’s time they gave him a real chance to show what he can do in the NFL

Read more at New Orleans Saints: Mark Ingram Needs to Emerge

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hagan714

agreed he does need more touches but what he and the saints need is too add some power blocking to the running game. It would also help if Ingram was more apart of the passing game. Defenses see him come into the game there is no guessing for them. Its a run.

lee909

Was just going to post similar.
Let him get involved in the passing game and get defences on their toes.Teams see Ingram and step up and crowds the line.

If Ingram gets regular carries(200) this year he goes for over 800yards and 8TDs.

saintsfan1976

I believe Sean Payton said exactly this in a recent interview.

Ingram is ready.

TheOak

If Ingram wants more carries he should demonstrate the ability to read and react, not just drive right up someone's ass. He has not demonstrated the patience or vision needed yet.

He runs with 1-10 just like he runs with 3-goal on the 2yard line.


What separates good from great? Watch Ingram run then watch Foster/Peterson run.... Foster and Peterson usually have a hand out, that's either to feel which direction the lineman is trying to drive or to direct the linemen to go.

ProMallNinja

I somewhat disagree, Oak. I think that for every one play that is run that allows Ingram to go off tackle and follow his blockers there are three other plays where he is asked to just plow it up the middle between the tackles. We also don't do much zone blocking like the Texans do, & that makes the comparison to Foster unfair. The zone blocking scheme requires him to be patient and make reads where a standard power run game requires more of a battering ram approach. I think it's an entirely unfair comparison between AP, Foster, & Ingram. If Ingram is like Emmitt Smith, then it's like comparing Emmitt Smith's run style to Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders. The comparisons between Smith and Ingram were valid because they were both workhorses and hard runners with slightly above average shiftiness. Ingram, like Smith, is a guy that you must feed and allow to get into a rhythm and wear down a defense. That has yet to be seen, and most of the blame is on the play calling and the transition of the league to being predominantly a passing league. My $.02.

TheOak

I've heard that "theory" before. Who feeds the ball to a RB averaging 2 YPC? That's nonsense. Furthermore if you have to wear a defense down to gain running yards it's not because of your RB, it's because your o-line can't block them.

Answer this, how do you sustain a 40% run game when the RB is ave 2.3 YPC? You can't wear a defense down by punting.


At the end of most plays Ingram is a licensplate on a linemans ass. He needs to learn how to find holes. Cut back.

Blocking style has little to do with a running back finding a hole.

I've never heard of any team selecting a RB based on the way their O-Line blocks.

xan

Hah! So true.

Beastmode

Emmitt also had the Moose, best FB to ever play the game and only one voted to a PB up to that point. I think Ingram will be fine, he was doing great before he got hurt and came back around when they adjusted the play calling which will continue.

TheOak

Ingram has some damn good guards. There is no excuse for Ingram but Ingram. Fragile Ivory gets it done behind the same line, with the same FB....