Ebony and (Chris) Ivory: Saints Running Back Shines Against Bucs

It took six games for the New Orleans Saints to look like a defending Super Bowl champion, but look like a Super Bowl champion they did in a 31-6 smashing of Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon.

Sometimes Cinderella is late. Better late than never.

It is unlikely that any Buccaneers fan knew the name Chris Ivory when these two NFC South foes began battle in Raymond James Stadium.

By game's end, they all knew who this undrafted rookie free agent from tiny Tufts University in Tiffin, Ohio was.

Anonymous no longer is Mr. Ivory, who rushed for 158 yards and effectively put himself on the NFL map.

Injuries to Lynell Hamilton and P.J. Hill during preseason first opened the door for Ivory to make the Black and Gold. He sealed his spot on the Saints roster with a 76-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter of a 36-21 exhibition win against the San Diego Chargers on August, 28th.

But even back then, Sean Payton wouldn't allow his new prized possession much satisfaction. Payton is like his mentor Bill Parcells in that respect. He said Ivory was a work in progress and that he was still missing his landmarks, whatever that is.

Keep the kid humble. Yeah, don't let the kid get a big head. May take away his edge, ya' know?

After Ivory pounded the Tampa Bay defense into submission, his head coach tossed a few accolades his young running back's way but not too many—got to keep the kid humble after all.

"I though he played solid. He did a real good job," Payton told reporters. "Obviously, he runs hard."

Then came the constructive criticism.

"He does some good things and there are some things he has to work on to get better...he had a ball out (fumble) and a couple of missed assignments but he just keeps getting better."

Payton never uses 100 words when 30 will suffice, and he sure isn't going to kiss up to some rookie even if that rookie runs like the reincarnation of Earl Campbell.

That's just Payton's way.

It's a big third down play...It's Chris Ivory and a big hole!...Ivory bounces off a man at the 11 yard-line...another outstanding run for Chris Ivory!!!

"(Ivory) is a monster, man. That guy has effort out of this world," said Saints guard Carl Nicks, who was blowing Tampa Bay defensive linemen off the ball all day. "Ivory breaks so many tackles and he hits the hole aggressively and fast."

"Coach (Payton) told us the first couple scripted plays were runs," Nicks told WWL Radio. "So, we were going to send a message early and often that we're gonna run."

And it was the rookie Ivory, given an opportunity after injuries to Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, who led the charge, making it an X-tra Strength Tylenol afternoon for the Buccaneers defense.

Ivory's performance did not escape the attention of former Dallas Cowboys coach and current Fox analyst Jimmy Johnson.

Said Johnson: "It looks like [the Saints] have solved their running back problems because with Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas out, Chris Ivory is running the ball pretty good and those running backs are so important in setting up the Saints passing game."

It was a balanced offensive attack—32 rushes and 32 passes—and the Saints' 212 rushing yards came against the second worst run defense in the league. Yet, when Ladell Betts ran over Tampa Bay's stud linebacker Barrett Ruud, you couldn't help but feel, at least for one afternoon, that the Saints running game was back in full force in the Florida sun.

"We strive week in and week out to put a complete game together," left tackle Jermon Bushrod told WWL. "For us to go out there and do what we did today, to spread it around, to be balanced, we needed that. We wanted that and that's what we strive for."

It was a day for a kid named Ivory to shine in Black and Gold as the Saints placed themselves back in the thick of things in the NFC South.