Saints' Alvin Kamara: Expected to split work with Ingram

Coach Sean Payton indicated that he's hoping to keep the Saints' backfield touches between Kamara and Mark Ingram more balanced in future weeks, Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate reports.

Despite Kamara's brilliance through the first quarter of the season, it was Ingram who was surprisingly acted as the Saints' top back in Week 5 win over the Redskins. In his return from a four-game suspension, Ingram logged 18 touches (16 carries, two receptions) and scored twice, while Kamara finished with only six carries and three catches, both of which were season lows. The game script likely factored heavily into both players' usage, as the Saints raced out to a big lead in the second quarter and prioritized getting Ingram more work in the second half following his month-long layoff. In more competitive contests, it appears Ingram and Kamara will see similar involvement, as was the case throughout the 2017 campaign. Both backs were still stellar week-to-week fantasy options in the timeshare arrangement last season, and with the New Orleans offense looking like one of the NFL's more explosive units thus far in 2018, that figures to remain the case again. It's still a negative development for Kamara nonetheless after he was on pace for a historic season with averages of 14 carries and 8.7 catches per game to go with 611 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns through the first four weeks.