The Saints are in the midst of a two game losing streak. After failing to score a touchdown for the first time this year versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tension and concern around the offense rose. In the face of this tension, two players stepped up as leaders: Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. Kamara did it more publicly than Thomas, but the result is the same.
Kamara’s frustrations were caught on camera directly after the game where he plainly stated changes were needed. In the following days, Kamara sat down with NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill for a one-on-one interview. He again vented his frustrations, and many Saints fans saw this as a player sharing their same frustration. There was leadership within the anger about the offense as well.
The authenticity. The passion. The vulnerability. For seven minutes, Alvin Kamara candidly spoke on the state of the offense. Most importantly, he took accountability and was the spokesperson for the whole offensive side of the ball. Derek Carr may be the quarterback, but Kamara is the face of the offense. He also spoke on how told Chris Olave there was another way for Olave to deal with frustration during the game. That’s a direct line of leadership to the young player.
Michael Thomas had a more private display of leadership. After the game, he gave an impassioned speech about the New Orleans Saints culture. Thomas was heard saying, “That’s not our standard. Don’t get used to losing. That’s not our culture. That’s not what we do here.” That’s especially true for Thomas. He wasn’t around for the last two seasons. He’s made the playoffs nearly every season he’s played. That’s what he knows.
While Alvin took to the media to speak for the struggles of the offense, Thomas spoke directly to the players in private. Kamara is certainly speaking in the locker room as much, if not more than, he speaks to the media. Something needed to change and the two most-tenured players on the offense spoke up to spur the change. Hopefully it makes a difference.
