The enviable depth of the Saints backfield will show up in St. Louis on Sunday.
For most teams, losing a first round pick at running back would be a big blow. The Saints will still roll out Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas to lead the way against St. Louis, and that should be more than sufficient for this week.
The Saints announced Friday that Mark Ingram is out, but they also will activate Chris Ivory off the PUP list for depth. Ivory had some nice moments as a rookie last year while leading the team in rushing and averaging 5.2 yards-per-carry.
Ivory has been battling a heel problem this year, but he will be an option in short-yardage situations. The Saints could also use him as a “closer” if the game gets out of hand.