New Orleans Saints’ running back Alvin Kamara has been a remarkable performer for that franchise since their selection of him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft (67th overall). Kamara has shown off great ability as both a rusher and a receiver out of the backfield; in each of his full NFL seasons to date, he’s played at least 13 regular season games and recorded more than 700 rushing yards and more than 400 receiving yards. And a receiving touchdown for the Saints Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders gave him a NFL record for consistent versatility:
Alvin Kamara is the first player in NFL history to record 10 games with at least 1 rushing and 1 receiving TD in his first 6 seasons. #Saints @Saints @A_kamara6
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) October 30, 2022
Any game with a rushing and receiving touchdown is pretty good, but doing so at least 10 times in each of a player’s first six seasons is amazing. And the play Kamara set that record on was remarkable as well. He caught a short pass, then was hit by three different defenders (and missed by another), but still managed to bulldoze his way across the goal line.
That Alvin Kamara balance is different 🤯#LVvsNO | 📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/HeErDzhsWr
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 30, 2022
This came after Kamara rushed for a three-yard touchdown earlier in the game:
AK TD 🙌#LVvsNO | 📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/tm6HSNwL1C
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 30, 2022
And he added a 36-yard touchdown catch later:
Alvin Kamara with his 3rd TD of the day 👏
Dalton to Kamara for the 36-yard TD #LVvsNO | 📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/eM61FEMsSg
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 30, 2022
As Luke Johnson explored in a 2020 piece at NOLA.com, a big part of what makes Kamara so dangerous as a receiver is his ability to see the field. That lets him run “choice” routes, which allow him to make a decision based on his reading of the defense. And that often pays off:
“It’s a choice route,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “And there’s certain coverages that make it more desirable, if you will. A team that’s playing true zone, Alvin’s going to turn around and kind of catch a ball in space. But when you’re getting man-to-man or you’re getting some of these match coverages, he can break out, he can break out if he feels like he’s getting overplayed, then he can angle in front.
…Last week, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians compared Kamara to Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, largely because of Kamara’s skill as a receiver. The choice routes he runs in the Saints attack are one of the primary examples of that.
“You have to have the quickness and understanding of how to beat leverage,” Arians said. “When he runs option routes and those types of things, he’s so quick, he doesn’t take any false steps, and he sets people up very well.”
Kamara continues to be a bright spot for the 2-5 Saints, who were up 17-0 on the 2-4 Raiders at the half and led 24-0 early in the third quarter. And it’s understandable why the team hasn’t been too willing to consider the idea of trading him, despite significant interest from other franchises.
[New Orleans Saints on Twitter]
