Mark Ingram Ready To Reclaim Saints' Lead Back Role After Injury

New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram wasn't exactly sure what his role would be in the team's offense upon his return to the lineup from a broken left hand. 

Ingram was probably surprised Sunday when he played as much as any other running back for the Saints despite missing the past three games. The running back never had a chance while playing against the Detroit Lions and their No. 1 overall defense, though. 

Ingram received an ungracious welcome back from the Lions, but the running back can't dwell on one poor performance. He'll once again be tasked with taking over the primary responsibilities among the Saints running back stable due to an injury to veteran Pierre Thomas. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Thomas could miss the next two to three weeks due to a shoulder injury he suffered Sunday. 

The Saints didn't exactly ease Ingram into the lineup anyhow. Despite coming back from injury, the Alabama product led the team in carries against the Lions.  

Player	Snaps	Carries	Yards	YPC	Receptions	Yards
Pierre Thomas	27	6	13	2.2	4	17
Mark Ingram	26	10	16	1.6	2	13
Khiry Robinson	5	3	26	8.7	0	0
Travaris Cadet	20	0	0	0	6	51

 
Some of Ingram's workload was due to situation as well as Thomas' injury. But New Orleans head coach Sean Payton didn't seem too concerned with his running back when he discussed Ingram's return with Mlive.com's Eric Woodyard. 

"He's doing good," Payton said of Ingram after Sunday's contest. "Some of it was a nickel plan and yet he played quite a bit. You know, because it's a thumb injury, obviously significant, but nonetheless he's recovered and expect him to be 100 percent."

Ten carries for only 16 yards seems to indicate that not all is right with Ingram. 

Closer inspection of those carries shows the running back's numbers didn't suffer because of his time out of the lineup. Instead, the Lions' talented front seven played a superior game compared to the Saints offensive line. 

Three of Ingram's 10 carries resulted in negative yards. Below is each of those runs and what Ingram saw once he attempted to hit the hole. 

In the second quarter, the Saints attempted to attack Detroit's defense with a run outside the tackle box to no avail. 

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Defensive end Ziggy Ansah took on blocks from Saints left tackle Terron Armstead and fullback Austin Johnson, while still getting penetration into the backfield. This forced Ingram wide.

Since it was 1st-and-10 in an obvious run formation, the Lions stacked eight in the box. Safety James Ihedigbo and weak-side linebacker DeAndre Levy remained unblocked and easily flowed to the football to push Ingram out of bounds for another three-yard loss.

The Saints attempted to run to the left with Ingram twice during the second half as well, and they were just as unsuccessful. 

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

As Ingram attempted to make a cut, all the running back saw was a wall of Honolulu blue. Ansah once again successfully set the edge. This time, the second-year defensive end broke through two blocks courtesy of a spin move to tackle Ingram for a four-yard loss. 

The Saints allowed penetration along the line of scrimmage throughout the contest. Levy was the next culprit. 

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Since New Orleans lined up in another obvious run formation (two tight ends to the right side and a fullback on the field), Levy crept near the line of scrimmage just prior to the snap.

The linebacker easily avoided the attempt at a down-block by Armstead and ran through a block by Johnson to tackle Ingram for yet another three-yard loss.

In each of the above instances, Ingram fell prey to predictable play-calling and poor effort from his blockers. Nothing indicated he was a stop slow or returned prematurely to the lineup.  

When there was actually room to run, Ingram proved more than capable of gaining yards. 

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

The Saints ran a simple zone right and were finally able to get some push along the left side and interior of their offensive line. Those blocks combined with tight end Josh Hill cutting off the backside defender created a large running lane for Ingram. 

What's encouraging about this run is Ingram proved capable of gaining more yards than simply those available due to good blocking. 

Ihedigbo worked his way across the face of the wide receiver and met Ingram after the running back initially gained four yards. Instead of being tackled for a minimal gain, the fourth-year back easily bounced off the safety to gain 10 more yards after contact. 

This version of Ingram looks far more like the running back who was exploding through holes and averaging six yards per carry through the first seven quarters of the season. 

After all, Ingram's lackluster effort against the Lions should have been expected. The Lions are the NFL's second-ranked run defense. They surrender 73.4 rushing yards per game. The Saints gained 73 Sunday.

But the road will get easier for Ingram to get back on track as New Orleans' lead back in the coming weeks. 

Over the next two weekends, the Saints face the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers. Neither is ranked better than 26th overall in run defense. 

While the Saints will continue to rotate their running backs, it now falls on Ingram to carry the bulk of the running game. By successfully establishing the run, Brees and the passing attack will only improve, which will make the Saints a dangerous team moving forward. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFC South for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.