Saints' Newly-Found Rushing Attack Giving New Orleans Offense Balance

Is this real life? Are Sean Payton's New Orleans Saints actually turning into a run-first team?

Thursday's 28-10 win over the Carolina Panthers marks the second-consecutive week that the Saints offense ran the ball more than 30 times. Now at 4-4 leading the NFC South, the Saints have ridden tailback Mark Ingram on their way to finding a sparkling new identity.

Injuries to Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson opened the door for Ingram to shoulder the load in the Saints' backfield before the team's Week 8 game against the Green Bay Packers.

All the 24-year-old back has done since then is produce at a high level. Ingram's 272 yards rushing and three touchdowns in that time span have helped the Saints get back to .500 on the year.

His sudden emergence couldn't have come at a better time.

Drew Brees is amazing. We all know that. But at age 35, there are plenty of instances this season where he hasn't quite looked like the same quarterback we've all come to love.

Having a healthy, productive Ingram by his side not only takes a lot of pressure off of his shoulders, it also allows this offense to further open things up.

The Saints have historically implemented a running back-by-committee approach under Payton's watch. Since he took the job in 2006, the team has only had one individual running back go over the 1,000-yard rushing mark—Deuce McAllister during the 2006 season.

Continuing with that train of thought, ESPN Stats & Info shared an interesting piece of data on Twitter. 

Against the Panthers, Ingram became the first Saints player since McAllister in 2006 to run for 100 yards in back-to-back games. That's a wild statistic to try and process when you consider DeMarco Murray of the Dallas Cowboys has run for 100-plus yards every game so far this season.

Listen, there's nothing wrong with a running back-by-committee approach. Balancing out carries can lead to a vibrant, healthy backfield by the time the postseason comes rolling around. That being said, it can also lead to some confusion.

There have been times in the past where Payton has outsmarted himself trying to use the stable of backs he has in his arsenal. The fact that so far Ingram has turned his opportunity into something special proves that talent overrides variety more times than not.

Moving forward, Payton has to make sure he sees a ton of work if this offense wants to remain successful.

So what's changed? What has allowed Ingram to seemingly flip on a switch and find a stream of success? 

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

First off, he's talented. Ingram is finally starting to look like the halfback this team drafted out of Alabama in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. He's running hard, finding lanes to operate in and pushing defenders back.

On top of that, he's been given more chances to make things happen in recent weeks. Leading into the 2014 season, Ingram averaged a paltry 9.6 carries per game over the course of his career. As a point of reference, he's carried the ball 54 times over the last two weeks alone.

Last but certainly not least, he's in the almighty contract year. We've seen a lot of guys elevate their play during that infamous period.

Whatever the reason is, the Saints have to be intoxicated with what they've seen. Based on the comments Payton made during the postgame press conference, per ESPN NFL Nation reporter Mike Triplett, the head coach is grateful for what Ingram has been able to do:

The Saints have a tough road ahead of them. Their next three games are against the San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens. Thankfully, each one of them will be played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Even with the sweet nectar of home-field advantage filling their Gatorade bottles, it's going to be vital, and I mean vital, for this team to maintain their balanced offensive approach. Feed Mark Ingram the football and let the rest of the game plan unfold accordingly.

Say what you want about the Saints and their flaws. If they end up winning their division, no team is going to want to walk into New Orleans and play in front of that roaring crowd. The way they create that problem for the rest of the NFC is by running the football.

Unless noted otherwise, all game scores and information come courtesy of ESPN.com.