Saints' Kendre Miller: Leading rusher in Week 18 win
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Miller posted 13 rushes for 73 yards and one touchdown and caught his only target for six yards during Sunday's 48-17 win over the Falcons.
Miller made the most of his first game since the Week 9 win against Chicago, as he logged season highs across the board to go along with the first rushing touchdown of his career. The Saints were without starting running back Alvin Kamara (ankle), who was inactive. As a result, the team turned to veteran backup Jamaal Williams and Miller. The rookie running back got off to a strong start with a three-yard rushing score in the second quarter on just his fourth carry of the game, and he finished with a team high in rushing yards despite logging one fewer carry than Williams. New Orleans was eliminated from playoff contention despite winning Week 18; therefore, Miller finishes his 2023 rookie campaign with 41 carries for 156 yards and a touchdown.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Active Sunday
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Miller (ankle/illness) is listed available for Sunday's tilt against the Falcons.
After limited participation in back-to-back practices earlier in the week, Miller logged a DNP Friday due to an illness on top of his ankle issue. However, he is seemingly feeling better and will suit up for the first time since Week 9. With Alvin Kamara (ankle) inactive, Miller and Jordan Mims will be the depth options behind Jamaal Williams in the backfield.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Adds illness to ankle injury
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Miller (ankle/illness) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Miller was a limited participant Wednesday and Thursday, but he failed to practice Friday and is now dealing with an illness on top of the ankle injury that has sidelined him for the past seven games. With Alvin Kamara (ankle) questionable, Jamaal Williams could be the top healthy running back for the Saints on Sunday, with Miller possibly working in a change-of-pace role if the rookie plays and Kamara doesn't.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Limited participant again
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Miller (ankle) was a limited participant in practice for the second straight day Thursday.
The running back has missed seven straight games with the ankle injury. Miller has 28 carries for 83 yards and no touchdowns this season, and he remains behind Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams on the depth chart.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Likely to sit out Week 17
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Miller (ankle) remains listed as questionable but isn't expected to play Sunday against the Buccaneers, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Miller will likely be included among the Saints' list of inactives, which will be released 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Though Miller was a limited participant in practices Wednesday through Friday, head coach Dennis Allen intimated after the latter session that the running back was trending in the wrong direction for Sunday. Miller's expected absence for a seventh straight game thus comes as little surprise, but the fact that the Saints haven't yet placed him on injured reserve offers some hope that the rookie might be able to play Week 18 against the Falcons. Even if Miller is available for that contest, he's not likely to have much of a role in the backfield behind Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams, especially if the Saints have playoff implications at stake in the regular-season finale.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Trending in wrong direction
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Miller was bothered by his injured ankle during Friday's practice and is trending in the wrong direction ahead of Sunday's matchup with Tampa Bay, Brooke Kirchhofer of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Dennis Allen said he'll still treat Miller as a game-time decision, but it sounds like the Saints coach doesn't expect the rookie to play. Miller officially is listed as questionable after logging limited practices throughout the week, and he now seems more likely than not to miss a seventh consecutive game. While there's no assurance of a meaningful role in the offense even if he gets healthy before the end of the season, Miller's availability is a bit more relevant this week with Alvin Kamara listed as questionable due to an illness. Kamara seems much more likely than Miller to play, at this point.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Still limited at practice Thursday
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Miller (ankle) was a limited participant at practice Thursday, Brooke Kirchhofer of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Miller has missed the Saints' last six games due to an ankle sprain he sustained in Week 9 versus the Bears, and now his availability for Week 17 is also in doubt. If he can't manage to practice in full Friday, he'll probably carry an injury designation into the weekend.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Sitting out again Thursday
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Miller (ankle) is listed as inactive Thursday at the Rams, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Miller thus will miss his sixth game in a row as a result of a knee injury. The development runs counter to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network from earlier Thursday in which he relayed that Miller was expected to play Week 16. Miller will turn his focus to returning to action for the Saints' next game Sunday, Dec. 31 at Tampa Bay, while Jamaal Williams and gadget option Taysom Hill receive any carries that don't go to Alvin Kamara.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Not expected to play Thursday
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Miller (ankle) is expected to be inactive for Thursday's game against the Rams, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Earlier reports suggested the rookie would return from a five-game absence, but it now seems he'll be inactive again. It's unclear if his inactive status is tied to the ankle injury or simply a coach's decision.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Expected to play Thursday
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Miller (ankle) remains listed as questionable but is likely to be available for Thursday's game against the Rams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Miller was gauged as a limited participant for walk-through practices Tuesday and Wednesday, but the Saints evidently came away encouraged enough with the health of the rookie's ankle. Official confirmation on Miller's status for the Week 16 contest won't arrive until New Orleans releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to the game's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, but the running back looks poised to be available for the first time since Week 9. However, Miller will likely be in store for only a bit role Thursday with Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams both healthy.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Estimated as limited participant
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Miller (ankle) was estimated as a limited participant at the Saints' walkthrough practice Tuesday.
Miller was listed as a nonparticipant Monday, so Tuesday's listing signals movement in the right direction. He'll still probably need to manage a full practice Wednesday to avoid carrying an injury designation into Thursday.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Will miss fourth straight game
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Miller (ankle) is listed as out for Sunday's game against the Panthers.
Miller will be sidelined for a fourth consecutive game after he failed to practice in any fashion this week while he works back from an ankle sprain. According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com, head coach Dennis Allen said Friday that Miller has made significant strides in his rehab but has "kind of stalled a little bit." The slower progression in Miller's recovery from the ankle sprain than anticipated likely explains why the Saints didn't initially place the rookie on injured reserve when he suffered the injury in a Week 9 win over the Bears. His continued absence will once again Sunday will leave Jamaal Williams unchallenged for the No. 2 role at running back behind starter Alvin Kamara.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Logs another DNP
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Miller (ankle) did not participate in Thursday's practice.
The rookie running back out of TCU has been held out since Week 10, and it seems as if he's still recovering from his ankle issue. Miller has appeared in seven games for the Saints thus far, recording 83 rushing yards on 28 attempts. He'll almost certainly carry an injury designation into the weekend unless he's able to record a full practice session Friday.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Idle for Thursday's practice
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Miller (ankle) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Miller appears to be trending in the wrong direction for Sunday's game against the Vikings; he's now been out of commission for the Saints' first two Week 10 practices. Even when healthy, Miller has been handling only a light role of late following Jamaal Williams' return from injured reserve Week 7. Over the ensuing three games, Miller has served as the clear No. 3 back behind Alvin Kamara and Williams, playing single-digit snaps on offense in each of those contests while carrying just four times for 10 yards and adding two receptions for 40 yards.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Misses practice Wednesday
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Miller (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday.
Miller made an early departure from this past Sunday's win against the Bears and eventually was diagnosed with a sprained ankle. The severity of the issue hasn't been revealed, but it isn't a great sign for the rookie third-round pick that he's kicking off Week 10 prep with an absence. Miller's status will be monitored as the weekend approaches to see if he has a chance to suit up Sunday at Minnesota.
Miller injured his ankle during Sunday's game against the Bears.
MIller had two touches prior to his exit in the fourth quarter: a 31-yard catch and a carry for no yards. He got hurt on the second one and visited the medical tent before the Saints reported the injury. If Miller sticks on the sideline, New Orleans will have Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams on hand out of its backfield.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Nonfactor as RB3
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Miller had zero carries during Thursday's 31-24 loss against the Jaguars.
Miller played a season-low three offensive snaps behind veteran running backs Alvin Kamara (66) and Jamaal Williams (20), as the latter rejoined the Saints backfield after sitting out the last four games on IR with a hamstring injury. The rookie out of TCU also did not line up on special teams at all, and all 68 of his snaps this season have come on offense. Miller's only significant production came when both Kamara and Williams were sidelined Week 3 and when the Saints blew out the Patriots, 34-0, in Week 5. So long as Kamara and Williams are available, expect Miller to continue to have a limited impact moving forward.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Minimal usage in loss
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Miller recorded two rushes for minus-1 yard and caught one of two targets for 13 yards during Sunday's 20-13 loss to the Texans.
For the second week in a row, Miller was the only Saints running back to see any playing time behind starter Alvin Kamara. However, the rookie backup played sparingly this week (18 offensive snaps) compared to when he totaled 90 yards in the Week 5 blowout versus New Orleans. In four games this season, Miller has only received notable playing time during the 34-0 win versus the Patriots and the Week 3 loss to Green Bay, as both Kamara (suspension) and No. 2 running back Jamaal Williams (hamstring) were unavailable. Miller's role only figures to decrease once Williams is activated from injured reserve, which could come ahead of Thursday's game against the Jaguars.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Tallies 90 yards in win
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Miller compiled 12 carries for 37 yards and hauled in all four targets for 53 yards during Sunday's 34-0 victory against the Patriots.
Miller logged nine carries and two receptions during the second half of the blowout win for New Orleans. The rookie out of TCU saw some solid usage in the first half while spelling No. 1 running back Alvin Kamara, who tallied 22 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown. Miller's biggest highlight came in the second quarter when he caught a swing pass in the flat before running around a couple of defenders for a 33-yard gain. That also marked the Saints' longest play from scrimmage and allowed Miller to finish with the team's second-most receiving yards behind wideout Michael Thomas (65). The rookie 220-pound running back has now tallied 22 carries for 74 yards and six receptions for 58 yards since making his professional debut Week 3. With veteran Jamaal Williams (hamstring) stuck on IR until at least Week 7, expect Miller to continue serving as New Orleans' RB2 versus the Texans on Sunday, Oct. 15.
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Saints' Kendre Miller: Stashes (RB Preview)
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The Saints didn't hold back at all on 28-year-old Alvin Kamara in his first game back. With Jamaal Williams on IR, Miller is the next man up if Kamara struggles with this workload or suffers an injury.
