Saints’ Alvin Kamara out; Falcons start QB Desmond Ridder
Kamara was declared inactive for Sunday’s game, leaving his snaps to be divided up between rookie running back Kendre Miller and Jamaal Williams. The Saints also will likely lean on quarterback Taysom Hill, who is second on the team with 350 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Miller is active despite missing Friday’s practice with an illness. He has missed the last seven games with an ankle issue.
The Saints are attempting to secure a postseason berth with a win against the Falcons and a Tampa Bay loss to the Carolina Panthers to win the NFC South. They’ll have to do so without Kamara, who sprained his ankle in the first half of last Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers and missed the entire week of practice.
Saints coach Dennis Allen had said Kamara would be a game-time decision due to his value to the team.
This is the first game Kamara has missed due to injury this season. He did not play in the first three games after being suspended by the NFL due to a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.
He will finish the regular season with 694 rushing yards, a career low, and five rushing touchdowns. He also has 75 catches for 466 yards and a receiving touchdown.
Miller has played in seven games, carrying the ball 28 times for 83 yards. Williams has played in 12 games, carrying the ball 92 times for 280 yards.
Miller will go against a Falcons team that has the same path to the playoffs as the Saints: Win Sunday’s matchup and hope for an upset in Carolina. Atlanta, however, will go about it after a change at quarterback.
The Falcons are going back to Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback. He replaces injured quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who went through pregame warmups with offensive coordinator Dave Ragone before it was deemed he would be inactive and the third quarterback.
Logan Woodside will back up Ridder.
Ridder made his first career start in New Orleans last season. He began this season as Atlanta’s starter before being benched for Heinicke for two games. Reinserted into the starting lineup after the bye, Ridder beat the Saints in Atlanta on Nov. 26. He started three more games for Atlanta before being benched again in favor of Heinicke.
Then Heinicke injured his ankle in Atlanta’s win over Indianapolis and gutted through most of last week’s loss against Chicago.
He practiced on a limited basis all week and was listed as questionable, with pregame warmups being a determining factor.
He didn’t show enough in warmups, so Atlanta is going back to Ridder for the third time this season.
“It doesn’t matter what the situation may be,” Ridder told ESPN on Friday. “If my time ever comes I’m going to be ready for it. I’ve prepared all week and all season as if I’m the starter, obviously. And nothing ever changes from there.”