My sincerest apology.....
 

Dear Mark Ingram and Ingram supporters,

Please accept my formal apology. You are not a bust. I don't know exactly why I didn't like you as a starter.... OK, to be honest.... that's a lie. I know exactly why I didn't like you as a starter....


- 1 yard and a cloud of dust more often than not
- no broken tackles
- not making the most of the touches you were given
- fumbling issues
- injury concerns
- whining about touches when you didn't deserve them

You were thrust into the starting role... virtually every other running back option was hurt and boy did you deliver. In your last two games 54 carries 276 yards and 3 TDs no fumbles you even have 2 catches for 20 yards...... I will never say that I am a Mark Ingram ( roll tide ) homer... but what I can say is that you now deserve to receive as many carries as you can handle for as long as you stay healthy. You should not be pulled out of the game unless you are injured or need a quick rest. In my mind you have earned that opportunity. You have now not only my... but many Saints fans respect. In order to keep it, you must continue down the path you have set.... Again my sincere apology for not taking you seriously as a running back threat. Here's hoping you make the most of your new found success....

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I ate that crow too!

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He's also leads the league in forced missed tackles and is second in yards per carry

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I think he playing great but when it come down to using that franchise tag I am still leaning toward Cam Jordan even though he only showed up in that Carolina game.

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Unless someone gets cut that franchise tag won't go on Ingram. They would have spent less on the extension they passed on him compared to the tag. It's def gonna be an interesting offseason

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ok he is getting the carries and proving his worth. I myself is almost ready to accept the draft cost to get him. only kidding i will probably never get there unless he starts stacking up pro bowls and playoffs wins he was a huge factor at getting

now can he keep this up and stay out of the tub.

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I know the argument can be made that he didn't get enough touches before, he was unlucky with injuries and the O-line is finally handling run blocking better - BUT I'm extremely troubled when a player far exceeds his previous performances in a contract year.

I hope the Saints don't end up overpaying him to stay just to watch him become the RB of the past seasons.

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This is a valid concern! I thought Mark started to put it together last year, and in truth I think he has finally got healthy and is learning the NFL game. But I think this is a very real concern and I ws thinking the same thing!

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I'm not interested in picking on anybody in particular but sometimes I think Saints fans can be a little impatient. I was just as annoyed as everybody else was, by Ingram coming in for one play and smacking into a wall of his own linemen for one yard...that got old really quick....but I KNEW there was something that Payton saw in it, I knew there was something there, that one yard and a cloud of dust wasn't what Ingram was brought here by Payton for....now we see it, now we know.


Also think of it this way....Ingram is taking off/peaking/catching fire, right as Pierre Thomas (although I love him) is starting to wind his career down.... I know fans want immediate results, and to some extent we should expect a certain amount of instant gratification, but from the very beginning I always felt like Mark Ingram was a draft pick made in 2011 with an eye three or four years out from that point, looking towards where we are RIGHT NOW in our running game, and the future going forward. It wasn't ever an instant-win proposition, but yeah, it sure started slow.

Tired of the endless parade of plug and play, fly-by-night, temp worker, barely-there Saints running backs like Mike Bell, Joique Bell, Aaron Stecker, Cadet, Lynell Hamilton, etc? Then Mark Ingram is your guy.