Mark Ingram
 

I'm not a Ingram hater... but I like the benching today that Sean Payton decided to do after the fumble and score for Seattle.... maybe he watched how fast and hard Hightower hit the holes today... he may have learned something...

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Ingram has no trade value. Otherwise I would throw even a mid round pick out there for Joe Haden.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

First, we need Ingram to get his confidence back and his head on right as this is a long season...

Second, totally agree that a message needed to be sent that turning the ball over will not be tolerated...

Third, we don't need another defensive back, we've got plenty of talent; what we need are defensive ends...

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Not to hi jack the thread but how about Crawley's big time 3rd down tackle on Baldwin? If he misses, potential TD.

Nice job Ken.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Even Lasco was hitting the holes faster than Ingram today, he needs to sit or be traded.

I'd prefer trade, Ingram is very hit and miss whereas Hightower gives his all every play.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Agree on every point.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Ingram had been pretty good this season until last weeks fumble but I agree with y'all. Hightower is just throwing himself into the holes while Ingram tend to be more hesitant. I do believe we will have a need for him yet during the season thou.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Ingram lacks vision.

He has the burst but doesn't see the right hole to hit or cut back lane.

The most important trait for RBs is their vision, and Ingram has always had issues with it.

In college he and Richardson had a great line and huge holes. They got to the NFL and the holes are tighter but they both lack vision. One of them isn't in the league and the other is lucky he has a coach whom is too loyal to everyone.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

So the question is: Do you spell him with Hightower until he shows he's got ball protection on the brain? Or do you just start Hightower?

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Mark, just might learn something.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

If it were up to me, I'd be starting Hightower from here on out, until there is any reason to do otherwise. I hate when coaches try to fix the unbroken.

Ingram hasn't earned the right to start, at this point. He's had his chance and someone has now passed him up. I don't think we can afford to trade him, nor would I expect there would be enough interest in him to make it a real option.

I say that I don't think we can afford to trade him because we aren't exactly loaded at the position. There are a lot of running backs on the roster, but only two can be remotely considered as legitimate options, IMO. Cadet is not a good runner, Murphy has no idea where he's going on returns much less the running game, unfortunately. And Lasco is a special teams ace. Watching him run makes me cringe a little. He has a very awkward, upright running style and just doesn't look like an NFL back to me. He looks incredibly over matched from a strength standpoint, at the least.

Sorry to be blunt about it, but that's what I see from them. Ingram at least has the experience over those guys. Hightower is legitimate. His surgeries have taken away some of his lateral quickness, but he can hit the holes, has good vision, and is strong. He deserves to be the guy.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

The is a old saying from my days of playing soccer. The man is possesion of the shirt is the starter(its from the days of nobody having a shirt number,those that started wore 1-11). Hightower holds the starters jersey after yesterday and its up to Ingrsm to take it off him

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Don't be surprised if Ingram goes off for 150 yards next week. The 49ers are allowing something like 185 yards rushing per game... good for last in the league. Could be just the kind of game Ingram needs to bounce back.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

most of these guys are A type people. They may play for money too, but they play for pride as well. Ingram has something to prove and it wouldn't bother me one bit if he chose to do it this week.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Hightower should be the starter. The offense looks better with him in there. The run game is better with him in there. He's a punishing, down hill runner. The Saints are less predictable with him in there. Instead of playing the pass exclusively, defenses truly have to respect the run and play action.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

I think you pretty much nailed it there. While I like Lasco's fire in the ST's, he kills the momentum when asked to carry the load.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

you go with the hot hand that is all

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Our depth chart for SF should read...
1-Hightower
2-Ingram
3-Cadet (Scat back role shared with Ingram)
4-Lasco/Murphy

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Not sure if it's been mentioned this morning but congrats to that Saints offensive line. They held up extremely well against possibly one of the better defensive fronts in all of football.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

I think Lewis should be at number 3 as a scat back.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Learn??? You can't learn speed. He isn't that fact hitting holes. He is just a more of a power back that lately can't hong on to the ball. These threads about trading seem to come up every year and more so this year.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Have to roll with Hightower. He is a real power back. Ingram, we tried to mold him into one but he is just not that guy, said it himself when drafted.
Just not good at hitting the hole most of the time.

Hightower gives us the Blount punch the Pats have. A more fearless runner.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

100% agree

I think Brees was even surprised by the amount of time he had in the pocket. In the first QTR you could tell he was uneasy with the pending rush, but I think he settled down and realized his line was holding up well.

If they continue to block like that Brees is going to finish the season very strong.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

I like Ingram and think he's a good to get better running back. He's has 2 fumbles that cost us one game and almost a second one. He should've been benched. He has a lot more upside than Hightower but Lasco maybe not so much. He better pull his head out of his arse!

Re: Mark Ingram
 

I hear what you say about upside, but this is his 6th year with the Saints. That's like turning 70 in NFL starter running back years.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Ingram benefited from a great O line at Bama, just like Eddie Lacy and Trent Richardson.

He doesn't have those wow moments, Ingram needs absolutely perfect blocking to make a decent gain, great players like Pierre Thomas could turn a 3 yard loss into a 12 yard gain.

Now Ingram has had two straight games with fumbles and is doing nothing else but gaining 1-2 yards a run.

I think its time to try and trade Ingram, either now or at the end of the season. Lets draft and get younger but roll with Hightower and Lasco for now.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

I was as pissed as any of you when that ball came out and ended up as a score, but looking back upon it, both fumbles were results of outstanding defensive plays. In both cases Ingram was secured by the initial tackler and a second or third defender took a full hard swing fist-first into the ball. That is hard to hold onto. I wish our defense would do the same.

But, the benching was warranted even if he did screw over one of my fantasy teams. :mad:

Re: Mark Ingram
 

hightower is noticeably faster

Re: Mark Ingram
 

who cares? dudes been fumbles mcclown since preseason.

at the end of the day it is his fault

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Yes it is. A total *****, but still his bag.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Yep, I gotta give them credit for that aspect yesterday. They weren't perfect, but we don't expect that from this group.

I was less impressed with their run blocking, except for a couple of plays. i thought Hightower made the most of what he had, and when he was given an actual hole he did a great job of exploding through it. Some of the credit goes to their defensive line, but the inability to create any breathing room in the redzone was troubling.

But all in all, despite the redzone inefficiencies, they held Drew up and Hightower made them respect our run game enough to make it all work for a win. I'll take that against the better defenses.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

From what I have seen MIA is at best our #3 rb. Sit him and replace him next year. He was not just a wasted pick but a wasted roster space for the past 4 years. We lost some good rb's to keep this turd. It's time to wipe and flush him down. I'm all for drafting a top rb next year even if his name is not fournette.

Re: Mark Ingram
 

Remember when Ingram got out played by another back and got motivated? I haven't seen that in a long time. Don't get me wrong Ingram is a good back but he's miscast in this offense. Yes. I would trade him for a good defensive end.