New Orleans Saints Eye Blockbuster Trade, Alvin Kamara Could Join Cardinals!
New Orleans Saints Explore Trade Options, Alvin Kamara a Potential Cardinal Addition
The New Orleans Saints find themselves in a challenging position, sitting at 0-4 and facing the possibility of a significant roster shake-up. With the trade deadline approaching, the Saints could emerge as prime suitors for contending teams eager to bolster their squads. Insider Nick Underhill has reported that New Orleans may be willing to part with several key veterans, including the dynamic 30-year-old running back Alvin Kamara, who has been a cornerstone of the franchise since his arrival in 2017.
Cardinals in Search of Stability
Amidst their struggles, the Arizona Cardinals are grappling with a tumultuous season in their backfield. The injury bug has bitten hard, with starting running back James Conner sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a devastating ankle injury sustained in Week 3. Initially, the Cardinals looked to Trey Benson, a promising talent drafted from Florida State, to step into a featured role. However, Benson’s hopes were dashed as he also fell victim to injury, suffering a knee setback the following week and landing on injured reserve.
Now, the Cardinals find themselves relying on third and fourth-string options, scrambling to fill the void left by their injured playmakers. In this context, the prospect of acquiring Kamara could be particularly appealing. Known for his dual-threat capabilities as both a runner and a receiver, Kamara would provide a much-needed spark for an offense struggling to find its footing with depleted personnel.
Current Backfield Dynamics
As the Cardinals navigate their injury woes, Michael Carter and Emari Demercado have stepped up to lead the running back drills, filling the gaps left by their teammates. The urgency to reinforce the position has never been greater, making Kamara an intriguing option as the trade deadline approaches.
With his proven track record and ability to impact games on multiple fronts, Alvin Kamara could quickly become a key asset for a Cardinals team in desperate need of a reliable playmaker. As discussions heat up, all eyes will be on New Orleans and the potential reshaping of its roster, with Kamara’s future hanging in the balance.
Patriots Defense Made Key Adjustment to Beat Joe Flacco, Bengals
Facing a Cincinnati Bengals team without injured quarterback Joe Burrow and suspended star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase should’ve been a chance for the New England Patriots to feast on defense, but instead the unit needed to make a key adjustment to hold veteran backup Joe Flacco at bay late in Week 12’s 26-20 win on the road.
The adjustment was made on the final drive at Paycor Stadium, when the Patriots finally sent extra rushers after 40-year-old Flacco. As Next Gen Stats, via NFL Pro revealed, “The Patriots did not blitz until the final Bengals drive, in which they blitzed four times, with Joe Flacco completing just 1 of 4 passes (12 yards) against the blitz. Despite their low blitz rate (10.3%, their 2nd-lowest this season), the Patriots still generated pressure on 41.0% of their pass rushes.”
Sending the blitz proved worth the risk when the Pats sent “the house on 4th & 10, K’Lavon Chaisson gets a hit on the QB, and Marcus Jones breaks up the throw to Mike Gesicki,” per Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS.
The telling contribution by Jones capped a clutch performance from the nickelback, who also scored on a pick-six to help dig the Patriots out of an early hole. Jones’ theft was the result of cleverly disguised coverage, making this game a strong endorsement of the defensive staff led by stand-in coordinator Zak Kuhr.
Patriots Needed Sophisticated Defense
A rare dismal showing from QB1 Drake Maye left the Patriots needing to lean on their defense in Cincinnati. Fortunately, Kuhr had a nuanced plan based around sophisticated coverage concepts and pressure packages.
The layers of disguise in their coverage showed up most effectively when Jones picked off Flacco and went to the house in the second quarter. It happened because “on their first pick-six since the 2023 season (Kyle Dugger vs. Miami), New England plays the early down in quarters coverage with a four-deep, three-under zone coverage,” according to Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar.
This coverage design fooled Flacco, who saw “the deep-zone coverage taking away his downfield routes, and thinks he’s just going to harmlessly check it down into the flat to RB Tahj Brooks. Instead, NCB Marcus Jones was baiting Flacco to throw the check-down the entire time, and jumped the flat for a 33-yard pick-six that was a sweet, sweet play by Jones.”
Changing the picture on the back end was necessary to keep a battle-tested veteran with Flacco’s level of experience guessing. Yet for all the rotations in the secondary, the Patriots still needed a more direct approach to seal the win.
Zak Kuhr Adjusted Core Plan in Key Moment
When Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel hired Terrell Williams to be his defensive coordinator, he hoped for a defense based on getting pressure with only four rushers. Williams has taken a leave of absence to deal with health problems, but Kuhr has mostly stuck to the same blueprint, at least until the waning moments against the Bengals.
That’s when Kuhr pushed the blitz button to great effect. His more aggressive approach worked to unleash edge-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, while also helping fellow edge Harold Landry III notch the Patriots’ only sack.
Registering just a single sack shows the Patriots still have a problem getting to quarterbacks often enough. The defense has recorded a mere 23 QB takedowns, per Pro Football Reference, because there isn’t a bluechip pass-rusher in the lineup.
It means Kuhr will be wise to continue drawing up elaborate ways to send additional rushers to wreck the pocket. Blitzing can offset the absence of elite talent on the edges, while it will also help the defense compensate for any further below-par days from Maye and the offense.
