Benching Mark for the game and putting Hightower in was a great move by Payton. getting familiar with Ingram over the last few season, and listening to him talk in interviews leads me to believe that he'll respond in a big way. He had football literally taken away from him on Sunday, on account of his mistakes.
Being a coach/trainer(wrestling/jiu jitsu) myself, that's how you light a fire under someone who been preforming way below their skill level. Usually, it's because the athlete is trying way too hard, pressing, and thinking way too much, rather than reacting and responding to the ebb and flow of whats happening around him/her.
By the way, lets be real...I loved how Hightower came in and balled, but he didnt exactly do much other than get 100 yards on 26 carries. 26 CARRIES! Not hating, just stating facts. He got jacked on every single touch on the goalline. That's not comforting at all.
For some reason, people love to hate the hell out of Mark Ingram. Everything bad, is overblown to the extreme. While the good things he's done, and been doing for years, are taken for granted and brushed to the side. Contrary to foolish belief, he's not costing us games. Drew threw pick 6's, our D failed to get stops on countless drives, etc. etc. Blaming Ingram is just hate from thin skinned "fans" who already hated him to begin with.
I'm pretty sure that if Ingram had 26 carries vs the 12-15 a game, he'd clock a 100 yards a game too. Heck, any RB in the NFL can get a 100 on that many carries. As for "explosive plays" this isnt Madden where dudes average 7 plus yards a clip, thats impossible. Most RBs are rhythm runners, and Hightower was allowed to get into one on Sun. 3, 4, 5, no gain here, a negative play there, and the occasional 10 plus run is normal. Some folks just have pipe dream expectations for players.
I think Payton may have just awakened a sleeping giant. I hope Ingram responds as such.