Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram is setting some lofty personal goals for himself this season, now that he's finally healthy.

Ingram trained twice a day for a month leading into the Saints training camp and says he's in his best shape ever as a pro.

The Heisman trophy running back wants to prove it by translating his college stats to the NFL.

"You always want to be above four yards a carry, but I'd like to be around four-and-a-half or five. That's where I usually was in college, around five yards a carry," Ingram said. "That's just a goal. That's a high number and that will put you with some of the elite backs in the league with around five yards a carry. You just work at it and try and be as productive as you can."

Ingram says, although that benchmark is ambitious, he's lost weight and is feeling faster and more decisive. He's confident those factors, along with a growing comfortableness with the offense, will lead to more touches for him this season.

Ingram sets big personal goal for this season

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

It's not that ambitious... it's what it should be.

PT and Sproles haven't had an issues accomplishing that and neither should Ingram. I'm hoping... no, I'm expecting big things from Ingram this year. It's time.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

It's past time!

Ivory isn't around anymore, so it's time for Ingram to piss or get off the pot!

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

The problem wasn't Ingram.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Maybe we should fire Sean Payton and hire Nick Saban, & he can wave his magic wand over Ingram and make him a Heisman trophy winning RB again....since it's clearly not about scheme at all....

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

I would be happy with 5 ypc.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

If he averages 4 yards a carry I'd soil my diaper. At 5 yards a carry - well, they don't make those kinds of diapers...

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

If the problem isn't Ingram, then what has everyone else had no problems in the system?
Deuce
Bell
Reggie
PT
Sproles...
UFA Ivory
Hell, Lynell Hamilton ran better than Ingram.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

True Dat 1

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Lynell Hamilton averaged 3.6 yards per carry.
Mike Bell averaged 3.7 yards per carry.

1.8, 1.6, 3.3 2.5, 2.0, 0.0, 3.8, 3.3, 2.3
Those were PT’s averages in 9 of the 16 games last year.
The problem wasn’t Ingram.


Reggie's 1st three years as a Saint 3.6, 3.7, 3.8
The problem wasn’t Ingram.

Sproles is a 3rd down scat back. No comparison.
He's not getting the 3rd and 1, 4th and 1, or short yardage goal line carries.
The problem wasn’t Ingram.

And Deuce McAllister, the best RB the Saints ever had averaged 4.0 yards per carry over his last 5 years here.
The problem wasn’t Ingram.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Go look at the numbers. Last year Ingram was below 4 yards per carry at 3.9 and he had more opportunities than anyone else. PT was overall at 4.5 and Sproles above 5. Ever see this guy bust it for a long gain ? None that I can recall. For the preseason he is at 3.5 about what you would expect for him and that's not getting it done. He is supposed to be our feature back don't think you can compare him to the likes of Reggie who was situational.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

I posted numbers right above your post, which you've ignored.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

I don't even argue this one any more, Danno. There is a contention of people with a biased opinion based on irrationalities and only a half-hearted look at the statistics as a whole. The bottom line is this: If you're a Saints first round draft pick, be prepared to be judged irrationally. The second half of last season Ingram had one of the better stat lines of the past several seasons of our RB stable. Who knows what it could have looked like if they had passed to him any.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

I think I'll take that route on several issues. It gets frustrating when people's biases cloud rational analysis.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Often overlooked is the fact that Ingram has yet to have a full preseason with his head coach.

2011 - lock out....
2012 - Game plan by committee - Ingram was telegraphed. PT/Sproles were used in a different way.
2013 - after this season there are no more excuses. He does however get this season to prove himself one way or the other.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Ingram in, run.

PT in, open playbook.

Sproles in, open playbook.

There in lies the problem. Open the playbook regardless who's on the field. I'd like to see more Ingram/Sproles, Thomas/Sproles, Ingram/Thomas sets personally. 2 RB's, 2 TE's. Make it interesting.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Obviously there's credence to that. At the same time, you could bring Ivory into the equation and it would then lessen that. There wasn't an open playbook for Ivory either.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

YPC don't matter as much when you are a short yardage specialist. He usually gets the tough yards even when the box is stuffed.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

If that's going to be his role, then yea... the YPC is that big of a deal if he does his job. But if we're trying to develop him into a franchise type work horse back, averaging under 4 YPC matters... and is very underwhelming.

I want him to be a 4.4/4.5 guy... but I'd be content him him hovering around the 4.2 mark if he's our long term lead horse option.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Now that his knee is 100% and we look to be intent on getting him more involved, it is highly likely that he puts together a season that looks a lot like what he did over the last 8 games of last season (after his knee got right). He was a 4.2 ypc back from weeks 10 to 17. He also received twice as many carries during that period compared to the first half of the season. Now that he's 100% and had a healthy offseason, it would not surprise me a bit to see him settle in as a 4.4-4.5 ypc back. If he gets 15 carries a game and averages 4.4 ypc then he's a 1000 yard back. He's fully capable as long as he's fully incorporated into the offense and not just goal-to-go and short yardage situations.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Accurate - I'd still like to run it down their throats regardless. It's all in the mind...

http://jeanadero.files.wordpress.com...8514363_n1.jpg

I've been in California WAY too long...

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

If he rushes for 800 yards and scores close to double digit touchdowns, I'd be a happy camper... and what I would consider a "breakout" season. In our system, being a 1,000 rusher really is an arbitrary number. That's not something I feel we should be overly concerned with. If he gets to that number, good for him... it'll give us more hope for his future prospective.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

I would like to see him do well. But if you think he at this point he has justified being a first round pick I disagree with you that is all. If being biased is expecting more than a 4+ YPC average then so be it. I would expect more from a first round pick that is supposed to be the horse while PT outperforms him so say what you will.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Thats a different discussion.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

There is a thread called "First Round Draft Pick Suckage" that you should check out. It has some info that may help you better understand how you're being unrealistic and irrational. First round draft picks are nothing more than players with a high probably of becoming serviceable starters. The problem is that most fans think "first round picks should just automatically be great". Thankfully, our Saints organization takes a much more realistic approach and brings our draft picks along slowly. Ingram is finally healthy and practicing a lot. He is poised to have a break out season for us, which means a likely 800-1000 yard season and 10 TDs. It's a rare breed (even with 1st round picks) that make immediate major impacts. I'm actually thinking that we may have finally hit on one of those with Vacarro. :-)

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Screw the numbers. Watch them play. Believe what you see. If you didn't know anything about our RBs you'd probably be wondering if Ingram would make the team. He flashes from time to time but mostly it's two yards and time to throw or punt.

If he doesn't establish himself as a top notch back this year we should start looking for some one better.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Mark Ingram isn't the focal point of our offense. He really needs to be the focal point to be what some are looking for him to be. I believe in him. It took Ricky Williams a little time too.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Ingram puts me to sleep... It began when he single-handedly couldn't get ONE YARD to beat the Packers.

Ingram = snooze button.

Re: Ingram sets big personal goal for this season
 

Wow. He was met 2 yards in the backfield by THREE Packers!
Go back to sleep