The moment finally arrived for Mark Ingram. In the prime-time Week Seven game, Ingram cut, slammed and stiff-armed his way to 91 yards rushing on just 14 carries. If not for a heel injury sustained in the fourth quarter, he would have easily surpassed 100 yards rushing for the first time in his career.
The run that injured him late was particularly special. In rumbling for 20 yards, he first had to leap over two tangled lineman fighting on the ground. The heel was injured from the impact of landing. Ingram wasn’t able to return in the fourth to cross the century mark, but the good news is Saints head coach Sean Payton said the x-rays on his foot came back negative.
Before the game, we were able to ask Ingram some questions, and his head is in a great place. He hasn’t had the quickest start for a guy with his talent because there are so many mouths to feed in the Saints’ offense, but he has been a great teammate and student, soaking up Sean Payton’s offensive system.
He’s been patiently waiting for his chance, and it’s great to see he was able to seize the opportunity. Here’s what he had to say about his NFL experience so far.
On his rookie season to this point:
“It’s a dream come true. I’m still playing football and doing what I love to do, so I’m excited and I’m loving it.”
On the Saints offensive weapons and system:
“You never know what’s going to happen. There are so many different plays and personnel. It’s just a dynamic offense and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
On how he and the team can improve the rest of the way:
“We’ve just got to keep getting better every day, improving every day. That’s what it is—every single person on the team improving daily. So I think as long we keep doing that, we’ll be fine.”
Mark said all the right things before this game. He was positive, humble and hungry – which explains why he was able to deliver. Ingram has all the talent, and he has confidence to deliver on that talent so that when he gets carries he can make them count. You want guys on your team that truly love the game of football, the theory being: if you enjoy what you do, you will perform better.
At this stage, it appears that the injury is just a bruise and Ingram should be back as strong as ever. Late October is the time of year when a power back like Ingram can really get on track.
The Saints found that out the hard way last season, a lesson delivered in the form of a Marshawn Lynch stiff-arm. Lynch taught the New Orleans brass how important a power running game is when you play in a cold weather city. As the weather turns colder, every Super Bowl contender needs a tough grinder in the backfield. Ingram has the resume, pedigree and physicality to be a prototype at the position. He proved there are more great things to come as the air turns icy. Perhaps Sean Payton has been trying to keep his rookie injury-free while his team piles on easy wins. But the cat is out of the bag. Mark Ingram is for real and you will be hearing more about him soon.
For an interview with Mark Ingram by DeAngelo Williams on Breast Cancer Awareness Month, click here for the article on NFLPlayers.com.
