Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

"I know one thing we talked about this camp is focusing more on the run game," running back Pierre Thomas said. "We want to get back to where we were in the past of having a nice balanced offense. We are putting more time in on the running game than I have ever seen before this year. We are trying to show that we can run the ball this year."

Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game | FOX Sports

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

he has been under the gun since he was drafted. so what new

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

He needs to step up. This has to be his year.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

Roll tide.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

Indeed!

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

I feel like I have read this headline every single preseason since 2011.

We aren't going to change anything. We have Drew Brees and a plethora of playmakers on offense. We would be stupid if we didn't throw the ball 60% of the time.

What we need Ingram to do is deliver when he is needed. Short-yardage, goalline, grinding out the clock. He needs to be able to get 2 yards when we need 2 yards, even if the other team has 9 people up on the line. Other NFL backs with less talent and worse offensive lines do it all the time, meanwhile Ingram is in his 4th year. He no longer has an excuse.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

Ingram just might get traded with the rest of the talent we have.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

No he won't; Cadet or Flanders will not make the team before that happens.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

I wouldn't bet against Cadet. He may help enough on ST to get a spot. He can also fill in the Sproles role. I know Cooks is supposed to take over some of Sproles duties but I wouldn't be surprised if Ingram doesn't get traded.
That is IF there is value for him.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

Ingram's last year with us if he doesn't do something.

We have to have a run game to win.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

he was our best runner last year; maybe the lack of run game is not his fault... That ever occur to his haters? :rolleyes:

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

that scares the hell out me. one vet in an offense like ours? hell of a gamble and not one I would be willing to take, unless you have a vet from a complex offensive system cut by the start of the season and signs cheap to chase a ring.

other wise play out the season with all hands on deck and let the cards fall were they may. let him play 2014 for a contract with us

the way thing have been going comp picks seem to be better than most trades. well for the select teams that get them and we all know the saints aint one of them.

I still having problems putting 100% faith in a second year back at this point. backed up by a rookie? i just could not pull the trigger without another seasoned wobbie blanket already in hand.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

PT was our best running back last year. Ingram beefed up his stats in that one game against the Cowboys. Take away that one game and his seemingly impressive 4.9 yards per carry goes all the way down to 3.7 yards per carry.

PT didn't have a YPC as good as Ingram's but he was more consistent game to game, he contributes much more in the passing game (77 catches for 513 yards is hard to argue with) and he's a much better blocker. Those three things are much more important in an offense that is based on timing, passing and keeping on schedule when it comes to down and distance.

I want Ingram to succeed as much as anybody here and I'm rooting for him, and I loved seeing him ball out in the playoff games. But let's not pretend he's suddenly our best running back. We've seen decent stretches from him in the past and he never turned it into long-term, sustained success. He's got to be a lot more consistent.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

Seriously?! :rolleyes: Let's ignore one game because the stats from that game hurts my argument... Absolutely ridiculous :rolleyes:

If you want to do that then we hsve to drop Pierres game against the Bucs where he had 5.8 ypc on 5 carries or his 7.3 ypc Atl game :rolleyes:

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

I love Ingram. I believe in him. He's a very good all around RB. He's been injured early and he's been part of Payton's horrible 1 back per play rotation, pass happy offense. He needs to be fed the ball. That being said, to my untrained eye, Robinson has what's referred to as "it". Hopefully, but I doubt it, Ingram and/or Robinson will get the chance to carry the workload and the offense will be more balanced.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

Do you not understand the concept of outliers? I only had one freshman course in statistics, but I know enough to understand how one big number in a series of much smaller numbers can skew the averages.

Ask yourself this question: Other than that Cowboys game, how many games did Ingram really impress. 1 or 2 maybe. He certainly wasn't as consistently productive a member of the team as Thomas was over the course of the season.

But I can play that game with PT too. Take out PT's best game of the season, and his average drops from 3.7 to 3.4. Not nearly as big a drop as 4.9 to 3.7. That alone tells you he's a more consistent player on a game to game basis, not even taking into account the pass blocking and receptions which I think everyone with half a brain on this board would acknowledge is an extremely important part of the Saints offense.

Here are some game logs for comparison. Stats don't tell the whole story, obviously, but it's a pretty good starting point.

Pierre Thomas Game By Game Stats and Performance - New Orleans Saints - ESPN

Mark Ingram Game By Game Stats and Performance - New Orleans Saints - ESPN

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

In games in which they both played (I'll eliminate games where Ingram was hurt), total yardage for both players.

Falcons. Ingram 11 total yards, PT 59 total yards
@ TB. Ingram 20 total yards, PT 48 total yards
@ Jets. Ingram 19 total yards, PT 90 total yards
Dallas. Ingram 160 total yards, PT 111 total yards
SF. Ingram 29 total yards, PT 84 total yards
@ Atl. Ingram 32 total yards, PT 130 total yards
@ Seattle. Ingram 22 total yards, PT 21 total yards
Carolina. Ingram 4 total yards, PT 28 total yards
@ STL. Ingram 44 total yards, PT 83 total yards
@ Carolina. Ingram 90 total yards, PT 15 total yards
TB. Ingram 30 total yards, PT 23 total yards

Ingram 460 total yards, PT 692 total yards in games where they both played.

Now tell me, again, which is the more productive player. Again I don't have much experience in statistics so I'd welcome any help.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

the run game sucked as a whole for most of the season; but keep hating and blame Mark for it all :rolleyes:

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

tells you nothing without the number of carries brought into play

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

You're just being stupid and emotional. "Hate" has nothing to do with it. "Blame" has nothing to do with it. You're trying to claim Ingram was the best running back on the team last year and that claim just doesn't stand up to even the most casual of scrutiny.

If the coaches truly thought Ingram was a better running back than PT, wouldn't they give him more carries?

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

I appreciate being called stupid... :rolleyes:

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

Um; they did... Later in the season and in the playoffs

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

PT didn't play in any playoff games because he was injured. But you should know that.

And as I already showed with the game logs, Ingram did not significantly outproduce PT over the last few games of the season. Over the last 4 games, 168 yards for Ingram, 157 for Thomas.

Look, I have nothing against Ingram. I hope he kicks ass all over the field this season. I would love to see him succeed. I think he's extremely fun to watch. So talk him up as much as you reasonably can.

But to say he's a better back than Pierre Thomas at this point is so ridiculous there's no way you can even start to defend it.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

I didn't say you were stupid, I said you were being stupid. And emotional. Which seems to often be the case when it comes to this particular topic. Problem is, the evidence does not even come close to supporting your view.

Re: Pressure on Mark Ingram builds as Saints emphasize run game
 

In my opinion, our difficulties converting 3rd-4th and short are not back field troubles.
They have ALL been equally stuffed and stacked up before getting to the line of scrimmage;
forget the extra 1 or 2 yards we were looking for on the other side of the ball.
Didn't matter if it was PT, Ingram, Robinson, Cadet, Ivory,Reggie, or whoever was back there.
When you bring in 2 tight-ends on 3rd and short, and we are 300+ across the front, there is over 2 tons
of meat on both sides of the ball. You make it almost impossible to find a seam.
That's just waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy too much beef in the way if the defensive front just goes low.
If we EVER learn how to spread the field on 3rd and short, I think our conversion rate will sky rocket.
In that situation, almost any of the backs named can find a seam, put their head down and get us 2 yards.
Nothing will work 100% of the time, but at least this way there are gaps.
Not only that, Brees can scan for other options at the line of scrimmage (catch some CB sleep, or tipping).
I'm pulling for Ingram too, but sometimes it looks like he has his eyes closed.
He runs up guys backs even 4-5 yards up the field.
But he has gotten better, and that's the key.
He's learning to be decisive - at this level there's not a lot of time to drink coffee before you get going.