Saints RB Kendre Miller in Line for a Larger Role
Over the previous two seasons, the New Orleans Saints have had little threat out of the backfield aside from RB Alvin Kamara. Mark Ingram is one of the best players in franchise history but had little left when the Saints brought him back to the team in 2021. New Orleans tried other options like undrafted RB Tony Jones Jr. and several veterans, but none were able to provide any kind of complementary threat.
Because of those issues, the Saints became a more predictable offense. Bad news for a unit that also lacked depth at wide receiver and issues at quarterback. Defenses were able to focus almost solely on Alvin Kamara, thereby limiting the dynamic versatile threat with Taysom Hill providing the only other viable rushing option.
New Orleans addressed this problem during the offseason. They first signed RB Jamaal Williams in free agency. Williams was coming off a 1,000-yard campaign and a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns for Detroit. The Saints also used their third-round draft choice on a productive back from TCU, the national runner-up last season.
Kendre Miller, RB
New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (25) runs the ball against the New England Patriots. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Miller produced in shared backfield duties over his first two years of college, rushing for a combined 1,011 yards in 2020 and 2021. He exploded for the Horned Frogs in 2022, rushing for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns to finish among the best in the Big 12.
At 6-feet and 220-Lbs., Miller possessed nice size and excellent breakaway speed for the position. He wasn't used as a receiver much in college, but displayed good natural pass catching skills during pre-draft workouts and early in training camp for New Orleans.
Unfortunately, Miller dealt with injuries throughout preseason that resulted in reduced reps. A hamstring injury sidelined him for the first two regular season contests, games that Kamara also missed because of suspension. Jamaal Williams also suffered a hamstring injury in Week 2 that landed him on injured reserve.
Miller finally saw his first action in Week 3 at Green Bay. He saw just 21 snaps, but was the team’s leading rusher with 34 yards on nine carries. Kamara returned to the lineup in Week 4 against Tampa Bay and got the brunt of the backfield reps. Miller saw only five snaps, largely due to his inexperience, with Tony Jones (11 snaps) getting slightly more use.
New Orleans released Jones prior to this past week's game at New England, going with only Kamara and Miller in the backfield. The rookie showed why the team had increased confidence in him. Kamara led the offense with 80 yards rushing on 22 carries and added three receptions for 17 yards, but it was the Saints rookie running back that raised a few eyebrows.
Kendre Miller picked up 37 yards rushing on 12 carries and had four receptions for 53 yards against the Patriots. All were the best numbers of his young career, as were his 26 offensive snaps. Of any player on both sides, only Kamara bettered the 90 yards from scrimmage that Miller picked up on Sunday.
New England Patriots safety Adrian Phillips (21) tackles New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (25) after a big gain. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
On the first play of a second quarter drive, Miller took a swing pass and scampered 33 yards. The play was the longest of the game by either team and set up the Saints third touchdown. It also displayed Miller's explosiveness and open field vision.
New Orleans showed enough confidence in Miller to let him take a couple series as the primary back to spell Kamara. He also took over sole backfield duties with the team up 31-0 in the fourth quarter, but continued to be productive.
Jamaal Williams will be eligible to come off injured reserve after this Sunday's game against the Houston Texans. Whenever Williams does return, he might find touches scarce. Kamara will obviously continue to be the lead back and focal point of the offense. However, Kendre Miller adds an element of explosiveness that this team has lacked behind Kamara.
Miller now appears to have the team’s confidence in blitz pickup, an underrated part of being an NFL back. With his rushing and receiving skills, we can expect a bigger role for Miller in the Saints offense moving forward.
