New Orleans Saints Running Back Alvin Kamara
Video Call with New Orleans Media
Thursday, December 3, 2020

What is it like for you guys knowing that it seems like no matter who you guys plug in there on the offensive line, you're having room to operate?
"I mean, I feel like I've answered a form of this question every week. It's a next man up mentality, especially with our O-line. Those dudes, they come to work every week and they're ready and they're available for the most part unless, obviously, injuries occurred. The next guy that's up always does what they're supposed to do. I think it's a testament to that room, they're warriors and they get the job done."

You guys have been really productive in the run game, especially during the eight-game winning streak, was there a jump off point at some point in the season that you can point to and say, that's where you took off, or did it just kind of gradually get there?
"I think it just gradually gets there, there's always that rhythm we find, what works. I think we try to do more of that, we try to duplicate the success. Part of it's putting emphasis on it. I think I said something after the last game, like, we want to run the ball, we want the game to be in our hands, Latavius (Murray) and I and our room as a running back room. We want it to be put it in our hands and I think when Sean (Payton) gives us an opportunity to do that in the game, it gives us an opportunity to shine. It starts with the O-line."

You mentioned wanting to have the game in the running backs hands. How important will that be this weekend going against this Falcons defense that you saw a couple weeks ago?
"Man, I think last game we got some pretty good looks. And we were able to do some things that that we liked. It's not going to change. I mean, we're going to take advantage of opportunities the best we can and hopefully be able to, like I said, duplicate some success that we had last game, bring it into this one and hopefully have it be a factor in the ultimate result."

There's been a big bunch of you guys this past offseason that's gotten some lucrative contracts. How much do you feel like that you've played well to basically show that running backs deserve this type of money? And how do you feel like it's maybe helped running backs in the future show that look, this position deserves to be rewarded?
"I think as a whole, as a position, we all know what our worth is. It might take a little bit more to kind of show that and prove that to whoever we have got to prove it to get what what we deserve. It takes guys, it takes some of those contracts like a Christian (McCaffrey) and I can remember when Todd Gurley got his contract a couple years ago, and Le'Veon (Bell) and stuff like that to just kind of swing it in our favor. I would not say I am playing better because I got my contract. I am obviously still kind of doing the same thing I have been doing, but blessed enough to have gotten paid and compensated fairly. I think it's good when backs like Christian or me or Dalvin (Cook), Derrick (Henry), those guys are playing well and, obviously, have been compensated, so it's like, okay, well, we are worth giving the money to."

How much do you feel verified that you've been able to do it yourself and been such a big piece of the puzzle and just being able to show like, alright, I've got this big deal, and I'm playing as well or if not better than you were before?
"Man, like I said, I think it's just when that happens, when you get the money and you play well, it's like I said, I don't know who we've got to prove it to. I'm not saying who we've got to prove it to, but it's good when you can kind of put some fact behind it like, alright, well, we paid him and he's playing well. We paid that guy and he's playing well."