The New Orleans Saints better hope Jameis Winston is right.
Moments after Sunday’s 18-17 meltdown of a loss to the Green Bay Packers, Winston was asked about the team getting Alvin Kamara back this week.
“He’s a part of our team that we’ve been missing,” Winston said. “He adds electricity.”
Oh, man, could this Saints offense use some electricity.
A spark.
A jolt of some kind.
This power outage has gone on for far too long.
The defense is doing its part, but the offense isn’t.
How bad have things been lately for Pete Carmichael’s offense?
Well, the Saints defense hasn’t allowed an opponent to score more than 20 points since a 27-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last November. The Saints are just 6-5 in those 11 games, a clear indication the offense isn’t doing its share of the heavy lifting.
The offense has scored just four touchdowns through the first three games this season. It has scored three touchdowns in a game just once over the past nine games.
Can Kamara, who finished his three-game suspension Sunday, get this offense going?
Carmichael sure needs him to. The Saints offensive coordinator was asked Thursday how much he’s looking forward to Kamara’s return.
“I’m looking forward to it, believe me,” he said.
The usually laid-back Carmichael couldn’t contain himself as he smiled and laughed while responding.
But for a frustrated fan base, this offense isn’t a laughing matter.
There is plenty of blame to go around: Carmichael’s play-calling, the offensive line play and the inability to run the ball, an area where Kamara surely will help.
We’ll get a better indication of where this offense really is when Kamara returns. However, if the offensive line doesn’t play better, it really won’t matter if the Saints have 11 guys named Alvin Kamara.
Saints quarterbacks have been sacked 12 times this season.
“I don’t know about a consistent reason,” offensive lineman James Hurst said. “I just know here and there it’s certain guys getting beat in a one-on-one matchup. The NFL, when it comes down to it, is one-on-one matchups. Schemes and all that help, but at the end of the day, the majority of your plays are going to be you versus the guy across from you.
“We’ve just got to improve that, make sure our technique is rock solid in all situations and understand the rushers across from us.”
The 11th of those 12 sacks came early in the third quarter Sunday and led to Derek Carr missing the remainder of the game with a strained AC joint in his right shoulder. Dennis Allen said Monday Carr’s status is “week-to-week.” All signs point to this being Winston’s offense for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Either way, the Saints will have Kamara in the mix, right alongside all the other playmakers on offense.
Guys such as Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Michael Thomas and Taysom Hill have all made highlight-reel plays this season, showing flashes of how talented the Saints are at the skill positions. But when it comes to getting the ball in the end zone, the Saints have struggled mightily, averaging just 17.6 points per game.
“He can help in a lot of ways,” Olave said about Kamara’s return. “Just how we can use him in many ways. Perimeter runs, between the tackles, check downs, option routes. All those little things out the backfield. He can help us in so many ways. I’m excited to have him back.”
So is Allen.
“He has an explosive element to his game and we’re glad that we got him back here,” Allen said.
Even the players on defense realize what Kamara brings, not only on the field but also off it.
“Explosiveness, excitement, the energy, the juice,” said defensive back Alontae Taylor. “We’ve always had that, but his addition to that turns us up even more.”
For those looking for a silver lining in the way the offense struggled to start the season, there’s this: The Saints went 2-1 without Kamara. If you had told Allen before the season that the Saints would go 2-1 without their most dynamic offensive weapon, he probably would have accepted it.
Now they get him back. His teammates should be welcoming him back into the building with open arms.
“He’s going to be a big addition,” rookie running back Kendre Miller said. “Plus, he’s been off for the past three weeks. He’s going to be super fresh, so he’s going to come out rolling.”
Maybe, just maybe, Kamara will get this struggling offense rolling, too.
The Saints sure do need it.