Saints' Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave expected to play vs. Falcons

Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara both plan to play in a crucial early season NFC South matchup against the Falcons

After the first two weeks of the NFL season, a case could've been made that the New Orleans Saints were the most impressive team out of the gate. Under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the Saints offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 91 points in the opening two games of the season. The defense too was holding up their end of the bargain, forcing five turnovers and limiting the Panthers and Cowboys to a combined 29 points.

In Week 3, the Saints marched back into reality in their home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The dynamic offense we had seen in Weeks 1 and 2 was limited to just 12 points, 12 first downs, and 219 total yards.

Now, with a Week 4 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons just hours away, the Saints were unsure of if two of their most impactful offensive stars, Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, would be able to give it a go against their NFC South rival. But according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, both Kamara and Olave will be attempting to play on Sunday afternoon.

“Saints RB Alvin Kamara (hip/ribs) and WR Chris Olave (hamstring) — both of whom are questionable — are both expected to play, sources say. The OL is banged up, but Kamara and Olave should be out there.”

According to a Sunday morning tweet from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the final decision for Chris Olave will come after testing his injured hamstring in pre-game warmups.

“Saints WR Chris Olave will test his hamstring injury in pre-game warmups but the team is “confident” he will play today vs. the Falcons, per source.”

While Chris Olave is averaging just a shade under 60 yards per game so far this season, Alvin Kamara has looked like he stumbled upon a rejuvenation machine somewhere on Bourbon Street. The 29-year-old Kamara has already scored five touchdowns, has rushed for 285 yards — on 4.7 yards per carry, which is his best mark in five years — and has hauled in 10 receptions for 132 yards as well.

Through three weeks, the Falcons are 28th in rush yards allowed, so as long as Alvin Kamara can stay healthy and maintain his normal workload, it's possible that the eighth-year back could have a big day in Atlanta.