Pierre Thomas

Mike Triplett, Saints beat writer, answered a question about Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram's workload:

Talking about the next few weeks in general, Mark Ingram will continue to get the lion's share of the rushes and goal-line touches. So maybe something like 4-5 carries per game for Thomas, plus a healthy dose of receptions? Thomas will likely cut even more into Travaris Cadet 's workload.

The bigger question is what will happen if/when Khiry Robinson comes back from his arm injury. That's tougher to predict since Robinson plays a similar role as Ingram and because Robinson was also thriving when he was in the lineup. We still don't have a good timetable on Robinson's recovery, though he must have either suffered a setback or opted for surgery, since he seemed closer to returning a few weeks ago.

Ingram's success has been a bit of an eye-opener for coach Sean Payton, who can't ignore the fact that Ingram has gotten into such a nice rhythm with his high volume of carries. So I'd expect Ingram to still be the clear leader in the backfield, getting 15-plus touches. But Robinson's too good to keep on the bench if he's fully healthy. That's why they call it a "good problem to have."

Thomas is no lock to play on Monday night, but Triplett believes even if he does, Ingram will get a bulk of the carries based on his recent success. Thomas' return likely means less of a workload for Cadet. Robinson (arm injury) remains the wild card here, but there doesn't seem to be a timetable for his return, so Ingram seems like a pretty solid play at least until Robinson comes back. And even when he does, it at least seems Ingram would still lead the way - perhaps much like the beginning of the season before Ingram got hurt.