Entering Week 9 of the NFL season, Saints running back Alvin Kamara ranks second in the NFL in receptions. That’s second among all players not just running backs behind just Cardinals star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.Kamara’s receiving prowe s isn’t a surprise he caught 81 pa ses in each of the first three seasons of his NFL career. New Orleans has always utilized him on pa sing downs as a short-throw option for Drew Brees. Kamal Martin Jersey But with Michael Thomas so far with injury, Brees has relied on Kamara more than ever in the pa sing game, sending Kamara on a record-breaking pace. Before the Buccaneers hosted the Saints in Week 9, Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians had high praise for Kamara.”I coached Marshall Faulk, and this guy’s scarier,” Arians Nov. 3.The rushing numbers for Kamara haven’t exactly suffered due to his heavy pa s-game usage. He’s still run 87 times for 431 yards and four touchdowns through the Saints’ first seven games, putting him on pace for a career-high in rushing yards. But it’s the receiving numbers that are through the Phil Hoskins Jersey roof for Kamara, and we’ve broken down below just how exceptional they are.MORE: Alvin Kamara receiving statsBefore 2020, Kamara had the amazing statistical quirk of having caught 81 pa ses in three consecutive seasons. His pace in 2020 would shatter that. Here’s a look at the star running back’s receiving stats from each season of his career, along with what he’s on pace to finish with this year.SeasonTargetsReceptionsReceiving YardsReceiving TDsReceiving First Downs201710081826538201810581709437201997815331282020 (through Week 8)66555563252020 pace1501251270657NFL running back receiving recordsThe following are the single-season receiving statistical records for running backs:Receptions:116 (Christian McCaffrey, 2019)Receiving yards:1,048 (Marshall Faulk, 1999)Receiving TDs:9 (Billy Cannon, 1961; Chuck Foreman, 1975; Leroy Hoard, 1991; Marshall Faulk, 2001)Here’s what makes Alvin Kamara a record-breaking receiving RBThe first thing that makes Kamara a dangerous receiver is Shi Smith Jersey how the Saints set him up. When a running back aligns in the backfield on a pa s play, he can pretty much go anywhere after the snap. That limits an opponent’s ability to immediately get near Kamara and influence the route he might be running, and New Orleans throws to Kamara mostly after he aligns as a runner rather than after he splits outside (although that happens occasionally, too).The second is Kamara’s route tree. He’ll get screen pa ses and dump-offs when pre sure gets to Brees, but Kamara isn’t limited to just those options. He can run slants over the middle, and wheel routes, and comebacks. Kamara’s ability to change direction quickly makes him a solid route-runner with footwork closer to that of a receiver..’s been showing off the receiving skills all season long. | : — Tonight 8:15pm ET on ESPN: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app NFL (@NFL) It’d be silly to go any deeper into Kamara’s receiving skills before really breaking down his athletic talent. He runs in the 4.5-second range in the 40-yard dash. He fills highlights tapes with jukes and changes of direction. He’s a dangerous, powerful runner after the catch. Combine all of those skills, and it makes sense that Kamara can both get open and then break big plays Trent Scott Jersey once the ball is in his hands as a receiver.Maybe the most important reason Kamara is on pace to break records is his usage. The Saints run pa s plays where Kamara is the first option. On other plays, Brees is quick to check down to Kamara, because he knows even though it’s settling for something simple, it can also turn into something huge.Thomas’ absence has boosted Kamara’s usage even more, as has an Sam Tecklenburg Jersey injury to Emmanuel Sanders. The Saints’ far-and-away best offensive option is Kamara, and that’s both as a rusher and a receiver. The return of the top wideouts could slow Kamara’s receiving pace slightly, but likely not by a lot. He’s already proven that being a dynamic receiver out of the backfield can win New Orleans football games. If that keeps being the case, the Saints won’t have a reason to do things differently.
