The good news for the New Orleans Saints is that running back Chris Ivory is not expected to miss Week 15 after suffering a hamstring injury in the first half of the Saints’ 31-13 win over the St. Louis Rams. The bad news is that this just means another week of wondering exactly how the ever-resourceful Saints plan on fitting Ivory, Pierre Thomas, and Reggie Bush into a crowded backfield.
Ivory left the Rams game with seven rushes for 47 yards. After he left Pierre Thomas, who had been used sparingly early in his first game back from injury, rushed the ball 12 times for 39 yards, while Reggie Bush took nine carries for 39.
But the biggest hint as to their usage patterns in the future was just how often Drew Brees targeted Thomas and Bush in the passing game. Bush, who’s always been a target, caught five balls for 22 yards, and Thomas caught four for 29, most of them before Ivory left the game. Ivory, who has 130 carries for 683 yards in his 11 games with the club, has just one reception on the season.