A few bits and pieces from New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton's Thursday morning teleconference with local media.
KAMARA ROLLING AGAIN: Payton said he expects rookie running back Alvin Kamara to be available for Sunday's game against the Jets in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Kamara, who left the Atlanta game with a concussion in the first quarter, participated in full practice Wednesday.
The third-round pick, one of the leading candidates for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, has 608 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 87 carries, and 630 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 62 catches. He's two touchdowns shy of tying George Rogers' franchise rookie record of 13.
"You go through a full practice and then you get examined, and then today you repeat," Payton said. "We all anticipate him playing. That's the expectation. He'll practice today."
FLEENER OUT: Tight end Coby Fleener, who suffered a concussion against the Rams, was placed on reserve/injured and is done for the season.
"He'd had one other episode at training camp and this one seemed to linger a little bit longer," Payton said. "And so a lot of it was just where we were, our evaluation of the symptoms and hearing from the outside experts. And part of it is just getting through that time frame of two weeks, three weeks – what was going to be the length."
Fleener finishes his second season with the Saints with 22 catches for 295 yards and two touchdowns.
ON THE RISE: One of the Jets' most impressive offensive players has been receiver Robby Anderson, who leads New York in receiving touchdowns (seven), receiving yards (848) and is tied for the team lead with 52 catches.
"The one thing you see is speed and confidence (in Anderson) from the quarterback," Payton said. "The other thing is, man, he sure makes plays down the field above his head, and at a catch point. I think those things kind of, like anything else with confidence, he's begun to do it and all of a sudden he's doing it more and more. You can see it happen during the course of the season."
