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jeanpierre

BY JOEL A. ERICKSON | jerickson@theadvocate.com Oct 2, 2018 - 11:49 am

The sight of Mark Ingram standing outside of security at the New Orleans airport on Sunday night added an extra layer of celebration to the Saints' third straight win.

Ingram adds a back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher to an already-potent Saints offense.

He's also one of the most important pieces of the locker room.

"He looks ready, he's ready to roll," left tackle Terron Armstead said. "Mark is a guy that's loved by the entire locker room, the entire organization. Just the energy that he brings, the positivity he brings, his energy is contagious."

Ingram's biggest challenge was to stay in football shape even though he wasn't able to play with the Saints. With that in mind, he worked out with Lane Kiffin's Florida Atlantic team and also reportedly practiced with a local high school team.

"He looks fine," Saints head coach Sean Payton said. "I'm sure he's stayed busy. I mean, he wasn't gone for a year and a half or been a castaway on an island. It was four weeks, I'm sure he's in good shape."

Ingram's return should allow Alvin Kamara to get a little more rest after taking 82.1 percent of the snaps at running back in the first four weeks. A season ago, the two backs split playing time almost evenly.

"We'll figure out the balance," Payton said. "You have a little more versatility with someone like Mark's experience."

Ingram, who was not allowed to be in the team facility during his four-week suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, spent the month at his offseason home in south Florida, training to be ready to hit the ground running once he was allowed out of exile.

"I was just happy to see him," linebacker Demario Davis said. "He's a huge part of our team and where we're trying to go. We were just really trying to keep the ship right until we got him back."

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

K Major

"He looks ready, he's ready to roll," left tackle Terron Armstead said. "Mark is a guy that's loved by the entire locker room, the entire organization. Just the energy that he brings, the positivity he brings, his energy is contagious."

MI is a highly respected & liked individual. I hope he brings the house down on Monday Night.

44Champs

Hopefully some of the MI naysayers now see the value that he brings to the team. We did well without him but we cant put that kind of load on AK41 all season long.

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Rugby Saint II

I'm ready to watch him run again. I've missed him and so has the team. My only concern is how often players have a minor injury because they are not game fit and it limits their impact long term.

jeanpierre

Probably the most impressive move I've ever seen Mark Ingram make...