The Saints won’t have Mark Ingram for their divisional battle with the Buccaneers.
Ingram has been ruled out with the heel injury that caused him to miss last week’s loss to the Rams. Ingram leads all Saints runners with 85 carries, 329 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory will carry the load for the Saints on the ground for the second straight week. Ivory had 158 yards on 15 carries in the Saints’ first meeting with the Bucs in 2010.
Coach Sean Payton also said that linebacker Jonathan Vilma will be a game-time decision. Vilma missed practice Friday with a knee injury, although Payton said that there was no setback to what has become a nagging problem for Vilma.