Mark Ingram 18 for 97 (5.4 ypc) 1 TD

Too many posts to quote&reply, so I'll just write some scattered observations. First of all I've noticed (especially in other threads) that a few "Ingram' haters" refuse to face the facts and might as well go down swinging! Moreover they eagerly hope for #22 to have a "quiet" game, so they'll be ready once again to crucify him...well, they're shameless individuals and shouldn't be considered true Saints' fans.

Meanwhile I still don't understand what all the fuss was about to begin with...Mark Ingram was selected by the Saints in the first round of 2011, but as a rookie he was used in a very limited role (almost exclusively 3rd&short situations), where he clearly succeeded. In 2012 our HC was suspended for the entire season, so a huge asterisk quickly materialized all over the season...yet Mark Ingram led all Saints' RBs in rushing yardage.

OK, so here we are in year three and we can agree that, at the start of the season, there were few carries coupled with subpar production. Unfortunately almost everyone seems to forget that the same paltry results characterized the other RBs when Mark injured his toe. In fact the main problem was the awful run blocking by the OL, as our RBs were dodging defenders before reaching the LOS. Luckily this problem was solved around midseason and the game against the Cowboys represented the big switch in terms of production for everyone (except for PT, who has probably suffered some wear and tear).

IMHO the only real mistake that can be ascribed to #22 was his desire to make the most out of the few carries that he was given early in the year, as he was clearly pressing too much more times than not. Furthermore the defense was focusing on him when the Saints deployed certain formations, and that didn't help as well. Another fact that seems to confirm this aspect is that Ingram's YPC has constantly improved after he was included in pass formations/plays (sometimes taking the role mastered by PT in all those years). Coincidence? I think not.

Last but not least, I somewhat agree with the assumptions that were made in another thread (where even TCUDan describes a more plausible point of view regarding the ex-Alabama prodigy). Indeed Mark is a very dangerous RB when he reaches the second level, as he can also drag multiple defenders when he accelerates with a full head of steam. On the other hand he sometimes is too soft around the LOS.

Having said that, I'm still convinced that Sean Payton was right, back in 2011, when he declared: "The only thing keeping Mark from being Rookie of the Year is me". A similar phrase was recently uttered while speaking about Khiry Robinson, so maybe Sean knows he has a really good stable of RBs at his disposal. He only has to decide when to use them and when it's better to ride the golden arm of Drew Brees.