New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is expected to play in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons, head coach Sean Payton told reporters Thursday.

Kamara has not played since Oct. 13 due to injury. He missed practice on Oct. 11 due to ankle issues, and he suffered a knee injury two days later in a Week 6 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

He returned to practice on Oct. 24 on a limited basis.

Since being taken in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft, Kamara has been among the most dynamic players in football. The two-time Pro Bowler topped 1,500 scrimmage yards in each of his first two seasons, finding the end zone (via rushing and receiving) a total of 31 times during that span.

The 24-year-old was off to a strong start prior to getting hurt, piling up 373 rushing yards, 276 receiving yards and two total touchdowns in six games.

As Pro Football Focus noted, Kamara has made a habit of breaking tackles and picking up yards in bunches:

That has not only helped the Saints make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but it has also paid off for fantasy football owners who have the versatile back on their roster.

Kamara's return will only further solidify New Orleans' status as a Super Bowl contender. The Saints put up 33.5 points per game while going 2-0 in Kamara's absence, extending their winning streak to six games.

New Orleans (7-1) owns a two-game lead over the Carolina Panthers (5-3) in the NFC South.

With Drew Brees reportedly returning from a thumb injury to start at quarterback for the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the Saints' top offensive weapons figure to see an uptick in fantasy value.

According to ESPN's Dianna Russini and Ed Werder, Brees will start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals after missing the team's previous five games. Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 as the starting quarterback in his place, but there is no question that New Orleans' offense is more explosive with Brees under center.

Wide receiver Michael Thomas and running back Alvin Kamara are the Saints' best fantasy producers on offense, and they should both benefit from Brees' return.

Even without Brees in the lineup, Thomas has been a dominant force this season. His 62 receptions and 763 yards lead the NFL, plus he has registered three touchdowns. Thomas has at least eight catches and 89 yards in four consecutive games.

It can be argued that Brees' return might disrupt his rhythm since it could take Brees a game or two to get back in the swing of things, but since Thomas finished with 1,100 yards or more in each of his first three NFL seasons with Brees as his quarterback, the rapport should be present immediately.

The bigger beneficiary with Brees back in the lineup will likely be Kamara. As a top-five pick in most fantasy leagues, Kamara has been a colossal disappointment this season.

Aside from Week 1 when he rushed for 97 yards with Brees under center, Kamara has not reached the 70-yard threshold in terms of rushing yardage in any game this season.

Kamara has also finished with less than 100 total yards from scrimmage in two of his past three games, and he hasn't scored a touchdown since posting 69 yards and a touchdown on the ground and 92 yards and a touchdown as a receiver in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks.

After missing last week's game with ankle and knee injuries, Kamara is questionable to play Sunday against Arizona.

If he does play, Kamara may be in line for his most productive game in weeks since Brees' mere presence keeps opposing defenses honest and opens more running lanes. Brees also loves to utilize Kamara in the passing game.

With Kamara out last week, Latavius Murray erupted for 119 yards and two touchdowns, as well as five catches for 31 yards. If Kamara can't go Sunday, Murray will start and should be in line for another big game.

As long as they are healthy, Thomas and Kamara should be deployed as a WR1 and RB1, respectively, and that starts with Sunday's game.

Murray has RB1 upside while Kamara is out as well, and while his value drops significantly when Kamara is healthy, he should still be considered as a flex option for this week even if Kamara does play since Kamara may not be ready to take on a full workload.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will return from a thumb injury that required a mid-September surgery for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

ESPN's Dianna Russini and Ed Werder first reported the news. 

There had been hope throughout the week that Brees would be able to return this week. He told reporters Wednesday that "the plan" was for him to start against the Cardinals. 

Brees came out clicking on all cylinders in a Week 1 victory over the Houston Texans, completing 32 of his 42 passes for 370 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

The 40-year-old Purdue product suffered the thumb injury in the first quarter of the team's second game when his hand struck Los Angeles Rams lineman Aaron Donald on a follow-through.

Brees previously said the thumb likely wouldn't be back to full strength until around December but added that he wanted to play as soon as possible if his injury wasn't leading to mistakes.

"I mean listen, it's not fully healed I think until three months. But that internal brace obviously provides some stability and support, as does the splint," Brees told reporters.

On the topic of what would keep him sidelined, he added: "If I felt like, you know, hey, the ball is not coming out the way it needs to, right? Not as comfortable, not as confident, not as accurate. Those things will be factored."

Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater provided valuable stability under center during the longtime starter's absence. The former Minnesota Vikings star completed 67.7 percent of his throws for 1,370 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions across six appearances.

Getting Brees back still represents a major boost for the Saints offense, though. The 12-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year is one of the most decorated signal-callers in history and looked primed for another massive statistical season before the injury.

His return should push New Orleans, which owns a 6-1 record despite his absence, toward the forefront of the championship conversation during the season's second half and into the playoffs.

Five weeks after undergoing thumb surgery, Drew Brees could return to the New Orleans Saints for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Per NFL Network's Steve Wyche, Brees said Wednesday "the plan" is for him to start in Week 8. 

Saints head coach Sean Payton told reporters during his media session that he might wait until Sunday before making a final decision between Brees and Teddy Bridgewater.

Brees was injured in the first quarter of New Orleans' 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams when his hand hit Aaron Donald's helmet after throwing a pass. He had surgery on Sept. 18, but the team declined to give a timetable for his return. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the expectation was Brees would miss six weeks. On Oct. 5, the 12-time Pro Bowler posted a video of himself throwing a football on Instagram. 

The Saints haven't skipped a beat with Bridgewater starting at quarterback. They have won five straight games and lead the NFC South with a 6-1 record. He's completing 67.7 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

If the Saints decide to stick with Bridgewater against the Cardinals, they have a bye next week before hosting the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 10, giving Brees further time to prepare for his return. 

Prior to his injury, Brees was completing 72.9 percent of his attempts with two touchdowns and two interceptions. 

The New Orleans Saints are rolling following Sunday's 36-25 victory over the Chicago Bears, and things may get even better before a Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals.

According to Mike Triplett of ESPN, quarterback Drew Brees said he wants to play in that game and is planning on returning to practice during the upcoming week. Brees, who underwent thumb surgery, said "we'll see" what his availability will be following a week of practice.

Brees suffered the injury during a Sept. 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but the Saints haven't missed a beat thanks to Teddy Bridgewater. The Louisville product has nine touchdown passes and just two interceptions; won on the road against formidable defenses in the Bears, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars; and has New Orleans primed for another deep postseason run.

He was excellent again on Sunday, throwing for 281 yards, two touchdowns and zero picks in the victory over Chicago and helped the Saints maintain their position atop the NFC South at 6-1.

The most recent effort came with safety valve Alvin Kamara sidelined with an injury as well, making it all the more impressive.

Still, the job is Brees' when he's healthy. The 12-time Pro Bowler is synonymous with the Saints at this point and has a Super Bowl title, two Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year awards and a first-team All-Pro selection on his resume.

He led the team to the NFC Championship Game last year, only to have it derailed against the Rams in large part because of poor officiating down the stretch. Thanks to Bridgewater's efforts, Brees will be stepping into a situation where he can avenge that loss and make another run to the Lombardi Trophy.

It may start against the Cardinals.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has been ruled out of Sunday's Week 7 game against the Chicago Bears because of knee and ankle injuries.

Amie Just of The Advocate reported the update Friday.

Kamara, 24, has 649 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns this season. He's rushed for 4.3 yards per carry, caught 33 passes and helped the Saints move to 5-1 despite losing quarterback Drew Brees to a thumb injury in a Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The ex-Tennessee back's performance against the Seattle Seahawks showcased Kamara's ability to simply take over a game, as he amassed 161 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in a 33-27 upset win in Seattle.

Kamara had never missed an NFL game due to injury before. He did sit the Saints' Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers in 2018, but the Saints rested him and other starters with the NFC's No. 1 seed locked in regardless of the result.

The third-year pro did suffer a concussion in Week 14 of the 2017 season but returned for the Saints' following game. He missed two games with a left knee injury during the 2016 campaign at Tennessee and underwent offseason knee surgery in the 2012 preseason when he was at Alabama.

Without him, the Saints should turn to backup running back Latavius Murray, who has 138 rushing yards on 32 carries (4.3 YPC) and a touchdown in six games. He's added nine receptions and 67 yards.

Murray has been productive if given the opportunity in the past. He rushed for a career-high 1,066 yards in 2015 and gained 1,052 scrimmage yards in 2016.

The 6'3", 230-pound back should get the bulk of the carries with Dwayne Washington backing him up.

Listed third on the team's running back depth chart, Washington had 27 carries for 154 rushing yards last season. 

After a quiet game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6, New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara could miss some time while dealing with a high ankle injury, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The issue will limit him in practice this week, although he "thinks he has a shot to play Sunday."   

The New Orleans Saints face the Chicago Bears in Week 7, a tough matchup for the offense without Drew Brees and potentially without Kamara.

From a fantasy perspective, this means Latavius Murray should be a priority pickup on waivers if he's not already on a roster.

Kamara was already limited last week, playing a season-low 59 percent of offensive snaps for the Saints, per Pro Football Reference. He ended up with 18 touches but only gained 66 total yards while rushing for just 2.8 yards per carry.

Murray was much more effective when he was on the field, rushing for 44 yards on eight carries and recording 35 receiving yards on three catches. He didn't get into the end zone, but it was the most action he's seen in New Orleans, and he made it count.

If Kamara is inactive, Murray would be a featured player who could see north of 20-25 touches to keep the pressure off Teddy Bridgewater. Even a limited Kamara would provide room for plenty of production on Sunday.

While the Bears are an intimidating matchup on paper, this is the same defense that was gashed by Josh Jacobs to the tune of 123 yards and two touchdowns in its last game. Although a bye week might've granted an opportunity to fix some holes, Akiem Hicks landing on injured reserve is a serious loss. This group is now beatable on the ground.

With a game against the Arizona Cardinals and a Week 9 bye coming, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Saints stay extremely conservative with Kamara's injury. That could allow Murray to feast over the next two weeks.

New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams has been suspended for the team's next two games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Field Yates of ESPN first reported the suspension. 

The 26-year-old had started five of the team's first six games this season, often covering the slot. While Marshon Lattimore and Eli Apple handle the majority of work on the perimeter, Williams has still played a major role while playing 80.1 percent of defensive snaps in 2019, per Pro Football Reference.

Since the start of the 2017 season, Williams had only missed one game.

In that time, the cornerback has showed he can defend the pass and the run, finishing seventh on the team with 53 tackles in 2018. He also has one sack this year and nearly had another one Sunday except it was called back due to a penalty.

However, the latest suspension will keep him out for the upcoming games against the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals, which is followed by a Week 9 bye.

He can return for the Week 10 game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Though the Saints defense has played well as of late with just 13.3 points per game allowed over the last three weeks, losing Williams could be a setback.

Patrick Robinson could see a bigger role defensively while Williams is out. 

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton expressed an interest in having NFL officials become full-time league employees in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio. 

"I think, ultimately, we're going to be at some point dealing with full-time officials," Payton said Tuesday. "I don't know that half of our fans even realize most of these guys aren't even full time. I think the game is sped up so much now and we got better angles of it all. Shoot, the video angles of each play...the fans are more educated, so I think we're headed in that direction."

No referees are considered full-time employees for the 2019 season after the NFL suspended a program put into place in 2017 that made 20 percent of referees full-time league employees.

"Unfortunately right now for this year that program will not be used," senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron told NFL Network's Omar Ruiz in July. "However, like I said, we use our officials during the year, we take them out to the clubs, we take them out to meetings still, that program in a way will continue, not just by the name that we call it now."

The NFL suspended the full-time program during CBA negotiations with the refs. It's unclear if the program was reinstated after the two sides reached a new bargaining agreement in September.

Functionally, NFL referees work full time during the season but many (if not most) have outside employment for the offseason because they are paid as part-time workers. 

The full-time employment status of NFL referees has been a topic of discussion periodically, typically coming after a nationally televised game featuring bad calls. Such a game took place Monday night when there was a phantom illegal hands-to-the-face call against the Detroit Lions, which set the Green Bay Packers up to hit a game-winning field goal.

Payton, of course, is no stranger to controversial calls costing his team a victory. The New Orleans Saints coach famously pushed for new pass interference reviews after losing the 2019 NFC Championship Game after Los Angeles Rams corner Nickell Robey-Coleman was not called for a pass interference penalty late in the fourth quarter. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars never had a chance.

Pope Francis shared a message of thanks to his followers on Sunday morning that included the word "Saints." However, he hashtagged it, which automatically and amusingly put the New Orleans Saints' logo behind it.

As a result, the Saints were feeling #Blessed after their 13-6 win over Jacksonville:

Whether it was divine intervention or a formidable secondary that has played well most of the season, the Saints figured out a way to contain Gardner Minshew II throughout the contest. He finished 14-of-29 for 163 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception and was unable to generate any momentum on his home field.

On the other side, Teddy Bridgewater did just enough at 24-of-36 for 240 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions and one tweet from the pope.