New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara appeared on the injury report early in the week, but that shouldn’t impact his chances of playing in Week 15. The running back escaped Week 14’s win over the New York Giants without incident but missed Wednesday and Thursday’s practice with an illness. However, he was a full participant on Friday, and interim head coach Darren Rizzi said holding Kamara out was just a precaution.While the Saints season is effectively over, this team still needs Alvin Kamara playing in this lineup. Following a seemingly endless string of injuries to the offensive line, wide receivers, and Taysom Hill, quarterback Derek Carr struggled to move the ball over the past few weeks. Now, Carr is sidelined with a hand injury, and backup Jake Haener will guide the offense against old friend Marshon Lattimore and the 8-5 Washington Commanders. Seeing as Haener isn’t exactly the second-coming of Drew Brees and Marquez Valdes-Scantling is the team’s most reliable receiver, expect the offense to run through Kamara.
It seems like Kamara will handle his usual workload, but there is a chance he sees more of a timeshare as he overcomes the illness. If this happens, look for former third-round pick Kendre Miller to see a larger role in the offense. The TCU product had a poor relationship with former head coach Dennis Allen but seems to be on better terms with Rizzi. Last week, he recorded 10 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown. He may not be the most efficient, as the offensive line is bad and the Commanders defense will probably stack the box, but it will be interesting to see what Miller can do with more work.Even if Miller sees more carries, Kamara will be the focal point of the running and receiving game. Through 13 games, the 29-year-old has recorded 938 yards and six touchdowns on 223 carries while adding 64 receptions for 485 yards and a touchdown on 84 targets.
