Alvin Kamara couldn’t recall any other game quite like the one he had in Week 4 against the Giants.
That line: 26 carries for 120 yards, zero receptions on zero targets.
Saints coach Sean Payton said after the game an injury to Tony Jones Jr., but there was no question one of the most difficult to stop elements of the New Orleans offensive attack was absent -- made even more noticeable in a losing effort.
“It’s not that Sean’s not calling it, to be like ‘no, I don’t want to get Alvin the ball.’ It’s like the flow of the game," Kamara said. "Sometimes it’s like last week, some of the pass looks that we had, that we had schemed, we didn’t get those looks.”
Kamara's memory was a bit off, as well. He went without a catch in one game previously -- a win over the Falcons in 2020, started by Taysom Hill -- but Week 4 marked the first time in his career he went without a target in the passing game. He's been remarkably consistent as a pass-catcher throughout his career, hauling in exactly 81 receptions in each of his first three seasons before a career-high 83 in the 2020 season.
Things won't get easier for the Saints in the depth regard, with Jones' ankle injury expected to keep him out multiple weeks. He's been sent to injured reserve, and the team signed a familiar face in Devine Ozigbo off the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.
Kamara says he's not one to gripe when things are going well on offense. He's not worried about the workload, and he's not displeased to be able to roll up over 100 rushing yards in an efficient, albeit more straightforward attack between the tackle. Still, he knows there isn't a defense in the NFL that can stop him from being a weapon in the passing game, it's just a matter of turning the vision set throughout the week into a reality.
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"We just got into a situation where we were running the ball and running the ball," Kamara said. "I feel like if it’s dialed up and called, you can’t tell me I won’t get one reception.”
One thing Kamara made sure to point out: If you know the game of football, you know every pass play is designed with multiple reads. The ball going elsewhere isn't necessarily by design, it's just a product of how the game is unfolding. His approach? If he's not getting the ball, he wants to figure out what he might be doing wrong, or could be doing differently. When you start worrying about other peoples' jobs, that's when you start playing bad football.
"That’s why I’m never mad, I’m always like, ‘man, what could we have done [differently]?,’ " Kamara said. "You do so much during the week then Sunday has a life of its own.”
Kamara expects his role in the passing game to even out as the season progresses, but what he won't do is emulate Keyshawn Johnson's famous "throw me the damn ball," moment. Though, he does admit it'd probably be effective if he did it. On an unrelated note, Johnson happens to be the uncle of Saints WR Michael Thomas.
"Maybe I need to," Kamara joked. "Maybe I’ll get one reception.”
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