Mark Ingram readily acknowledges that his last game with the Saints could come Sunday Tytus Howard Jersey , when New Orleans hosts the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship game.But Ingram hasn’t given up on bucking conventional wisdom and remaining with New Orleans, even though his contract is expiring and the Saints will have to worry about signing younger, more productive running back Alvin Kamara to his second NFL contract in the next couple of years.Combined, Ingram and Kamara give the Saints one of the most formidable backfield tandems in the NFL — and an answer to the Rams duo of Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson, which battered Dallas’ defense to the tune of more than 200 yards rushing last Saturday night.It is a formula that can potentially extend the life of a rusher’s career and promote winning — two things at the top of mind for Ingram, who has become a veteran locker room leader while trying throughout his eight-year career to help get the Saints as far as they’ve gotten this season.“We’ve got a good squad. I feel like we can do this type of thing for many more years,” Ingram said. “I’m not looking just to bail out of New Orleans.”The 29-year-old Ingram, a 2009 Heisman Trophy winner with Alabama and first-round draft pick in 2011, had far from his best season, statistically speaking, in 2018. He had to sit out the first four games because of an NFL suspension stemming from the use of a banned substance.During the Saints’ last 12 games, he rushed for 645 yards and six TDs, surpassing 100 yards in a game twice this season. He also caught 21 passes for 170 yards and one TD.Such numbers represent a considerable decline from the previous two seasons, during which Ingram eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in each.Yet coaches and teammates are quick to paint Ingram as one of those players whose impact goes beyond his own raw stats. They rave about his work ethic Rock Ya-Sin Jersey , leadership, loyalty and contagious, overt passion for the game and his team.“He’s a great teammate. He cares,” Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. said, adding that it’s apparent Ingram’s teammates “respect his game, how he plays, how he goes out and gives effort.“He’s always bringing his best,” Carmichael continued. “He just has a great relationship with so many guys.”Kamara has said Ingram’s presence “frees me up” when they are in the same formation and asserts that they always have exhibited “a genuine care and support for each other,” even though they are technically competing for opportunities to have the ball.“We look at it like, as long as we both know what we need to do, the team will be successful,” Kamara said.Coach Sean Payton has extolled the value having both rushers available to help reduce the physical burden on each of them.Ingram and Kamara together “has been pretty good for us,” Payton said. “It is much more difficult if you are limited to just one of those players.”Ingram’s first few seasons in New Orleans were marred by injuries and unmet expectations. But in recent years, Ingram has become a fan favorite, and now sounds as if he struggles with the notion of playing elsewhere.“I was drafted here. I met my wife here http://www.coltsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ben-banogu-jersey , my children were born here,” Ingram said. “Very rarely does anybody get to spend their career in one place. So, I love New Orleans. I love this team. I love this organization.“I’ve had encouragement and support from so many people in this organization, so I just think of all those people who have helped me when people have counted me out,” Ingram added. “It’s a lot of people in this building who have helped me get to this point.”Yet Ingram grew up keenly aware of the business side of the NFL. His father, Mark Ingram Sr., was an NFL receiver with four teams: The New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers.“We’ll see what happens,” Ingram said, resigned to his uncertain future. “I hope we win a Super Bowl and hopefully everything works out.” PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nigel Bradham played nearly an entire game with a broken thumb that required surgery afterward.Why?The Philadelphia Eagles are fighting for a playoff spot and needed their best linebacker.“It was definitely painful but it was something I had to get through,” Bradham said after having six screws inserted into his right hand.Bradham plans to be out there again when the Eagles (5-6) host the Washington Redskins (6-5) on Monday night in an important NFC East matchup. The defense is already missing several key starters and can’t afford to lose another one.“I want to be out there regardless,” Bradham said. “That’s just my thing. I’m always trying to be available.”The defending Super Bowl champions need a victory to stay one game behind the division-leading Cowboys (7-5) with a showdown in Dallas coming up next week.Cornerbacks Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills, safety Rodney McLeod and linebacker Jordan Hicks are among the injured starters on Philadelphia’s defense. But the Redskins are also dealing with several injuries, including losing quarterback Alex Smith for the rest of the season.Colt McCoy made his first start in four years in a 31-23 loss at Dallas on Thanksgiving. He’s had more time to prepare for the Eagles after only a couple walkthrough practices last week.“Repetition is king and he doesn’t get any reps Khari Willis Jersey ,” coach Jay Gruden said. “When you’re calling the plays, making protection adjustments, seeing the route concepts versus cover 2, versus cover 3, versus man to man, sitting your foot in the ground, avoiding the rush. Doing that in practice is very, very important for a quarterback’s progression.”Here are some things to watch for Monday night:DIFFERENCE MAKEREagles safety Malcolm Jenkins had an interception that turned the momentum and helped the team rally to beat the Giants 25-22 win last week. He filled several roles on defense, including nickel cornerback and linebacker, and also played on special teams.“I don’t know if we could have won that game without having a guy like Malcolm Jenkins that has the flexibility to move to different positions, and the athletic ability to do it,” defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. “It’s easier said than done. It’s not just knowing what to do. … but we played at a high level with him in there.”AGELESS APAdrian Peterson is on his way to his eighth 1,000-yard rushing season and will face a defense that has struggled against the run, allowing 100-yard rushers in three straight games. The 33-year-old slowed down in November, gaining only 171 of his 758 yards. But the Eagles no longer are the same unit that had the NFL’s best run defense in 2017.“He’s found the fountain of youth Josh Allen Jersey ,” Jenkins said of Peterson. “We have to do a good job bottling him up if we’re going to have any success.”TATE’S IMPACTSince acquiring wide receiver Golden Tate, the Eagles have struggled on offense and Carson Wentz is having a difficult time distributing the ball to his receivers. Tate has only 11 catches for 97 yards in three games. Nelson Agholor has just one reception in the past two games. Alshon Jeffery has 11 catches and no touchdowns in the last three.DEFENSIVE DOWNTURNWashington’s defense that was ranked first in the NFL early in the season has slumped in recent weeks, struggling against the run and pass. The Redskins have the fourth-most takeaways but are near the bottom of the league in third-down stops, which comes down to a mix of game plans, ill-timed matchups and missed tackles — all things they’ve tried to correct since losing to the Cowboys.“It’s really about just focusing,” linebacker Mason Foster said. “You can’t let little things here or there, motions and all that stuff, get you distracted and get your eyes in the wrong place. You end up chasing ghosts. Really it’s just about being locked in and trusting the man next to you, get back to the way that we play football and be physical and tackle.”ROOKIE’S TIMEUndrafted rookie Josh Adams, who went to Notre Dame, has emerged as Philadelphia’s lead running back following a season-high 84 yards on 22 carries last week, including a 1-yard TD run and a 2-point conversion. The Eagles lost Jay Ajayi to a season-ending knee injury and veteran Darren Sproles has been out since Week 1.