Alvin Kamara and Cameron Jordan Are Back, but Chris Olave’s Hamstring Adds a New Concern for Saints
· Yahoo Sports
Two of the New Orleans Saints' most accomplished veterans are officially ready to return Sunday in Baltimore. That's the good news. The problem is New Orleans picked up another injury concern at exactly the wrong position, with its hottest offensive player now carrying a questionable designation.
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Running back Alvin Kamara and defensive end Cameron Jordan finished Friday as full practice participants and received no game-status designation on the Saints' final Week 2 injury report. That clears the way for both veterans to return against the Baltimore Ravens after missing New Orleans' 31-30 overtime loss to Detroit.
But receiver Chris Olave is officially questionable with a hamstring injury after being limited Thursday and Friday. Edge rusher Chase Young, who is dealing with a calf injury, and defensive lineman Christen Miller, who has a toe injury, are also questionable.
That's the confirmed situation as of Friday, Sept. 18.
My opinion? Getting Kamara and Jordan back is huge, but Olave is the name I'm watching all the way until Sunday's inactive list comes out.
Kamara Gives the Saints Their Missing Offensive Piece
Kamara practiced fully all three days this week after missing the opener with the Grade 2 knee sprain he suffered during an Aug. 18 joint practice with Dallas. The Saints confirmed Thursday that Kamara will make his season debut in Baltimore after beating an originally projected six-week recovery timetable. That matters for Tyler Shough.
Shough threw 56 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns against Detroit, nearly pulling New Orleans out of a 21-point hole. It was impressive football. It also isn't something the Saints should ask him to repeat every Sunday.
Kamara joins a backfield in which Travis Etienne Jr. rushed nine times for 46 yards in Week 1 and Kendre Miller added 30 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
Now coach Kellen Moore has options. Kamara doesn't need 25 touches. Use him as a matchup problem. Put him next to Shough. Motion him outside. Pair him with Etienne. Force Baltimore to identify who has him before the snap.
Anything that gives a second-year quarterback easier answers is valuable.
Olave’s Status Changes the Equation
Here's why Olave's hamstring deserves attention. He wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report. He appeared Thursday as a limited participant and remained limited Friday before receiving the questionable designation.
That's not confirmation that he'll miss the game. It's also not something to casually ignore. Olave was Shough's biggest weapon in Detroit, catching 10 passes for a career-high 182 yards. Their developing connection was one of the best things to come out of an otherwise painful opening-day loss.
If Olave plays, Baltimore has to respect the vertical game. If he doesn't, or if the hamstring limits him, the Saints will need Devaughn Vele, Barion Brown, Bryce Lance and the tight ends to carry considerably more of the receiving workload.
That's where Kamara's return becomes even more important.
Cameron Jordan Couldn’t Return at a Better Time
Jordan's return might be equally important considering what's waiting in Baltimore. The Ravens produced 506 yards of offense and scored 41 points in their Week 1 victory over Indianapolis. Derrick Henry rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns, while Lamar Jackson threw for 324 yards and added another 40 on the ground.
New Orleans just allowed Jahmyr Gibbs to rush for 156 yards. You see where I'm going with this. Jordan's value Sunday isn't simply about sacks. The Saints need him setting the edge, maintaining gap discipline and making sure Henry doesn't consistently reach the second level untouched.
Jordan was limited Wednesday and Thursday before practicing fully Friday and leaving the injury report without a game designation.
For a defense facing Henry and Jackson, that's about as welcome an injury update as New Orleans could receive.
Chase Young Is the Other Name to Watch
Young's calf injury complicates things. He was added to the report Thursday and remained limited Friday before being listed questionable. Again, questionable does not mean out.
But if Young is limited or unavailable, Jordan's return becomes even more significant. The Saints need pressure without sacrificing containment against Jackson. That's a difficult balance even with everybody healthy.
Special Teams Will Look Different
Long snapper Zach Wood is officially out because of a calf injury after missing Thursday and Friday practices. Linebacker Isaiah Stalbird is doubtful with a shoulder injury. Tight ends Juwan Johnson and Oscar Delp, meanwhile, finished Friday as full participants and carry no game designation.
Those aren't headline-grabbing developments, but Week 2 road games can turn on one special-teams mistake. New Orleans will need its replacement operation clean.
My Two Pennies
This injury report feels like a trade. The Saints get Kamara and Jordan back, but with a trade-off, and now they have to spend the next 48 hours worrying about Olave and Young.
I'll take the veteran reinforcements, but Olave is the one I don't want New Orleans gambling with. It's September. Hamstrings can become season-long annoyances when players try to push through them too quickly.
If Olave is cleared and feels right, let Shough go back to the connection that produced 182 yards last week. If he isn't, don't force it.
That's why you brought in Etienne. That's why Kamara's versatility matters. That's why young receivers have to develop.
The Saints are already 0-1, so Sunday's game matters. But so does December. New Orleans finally gets two franchise cornerstones back against Baltimore, but now the goal is making sure one of its newest offensive cornerstones doesn't become the next player watching from the sideline.