Saints RB Alvin Kamara ties NFL record with 6 rushing TDs
from www.nfl.com:
Alvin Kamara was selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl earlier this week. The NFC’s starting running back nod went to Friday opponent Dalvin Cook?, however. Perhaps, Kamara took that personally.
The Saints star tied an NFL record with six rushing touchdowns in a 52-33 win over the Vikings on Christmas Day.
The historic performance, which helped New Orleans claim its fourth consecutive NFC South title and might decide some fantasy football championships as well, offered several reasons to celebrate.
Kamara’s epic rushing output matched Hall of Famer Ernie Nevers of the Chicago Cardinals in 1929. It was just the third instance of a player scoring six TDs from scrimmage (Dub Jones, Browns, 1951) and the fourth including six TDs overall (?Gale Sayers?, Bears, 1965).
Friday’s game was the first of those in the Super Bowl era and, incidentally, the only one not to involve the Bears.
“He’s the best running back in the league,” Saints center Erik McCoy told reporters afterward. “There’s not much else to say about it.”
For a moment, it looked like Kamara would fall one score short.
He became the first player in seven years to score five touchdowns when he scampered in from 7 yards out early in the fourth quarter. But with just four minutes remaining, Kamara watched from the sideline as Taysom Hill entered the game and ran it in from the 1-yard line.
The Saints, who scored on every drive aside from their two turnovers and running the clock out to end the game, quickly regained possession and found themselves inside the 5 thanks to a long pass from Drew Brees to Adam Trautman?. Kamara punched it in from the 3 on the next play.
The game’s opening drive hinted at big things for the all-purpose back, as he weaved through Minnesota’s defense for a 40-yard touchdown. He’d add two more scores, 1 and 5 yards long, before halftime.
That had him thinking about making history. Kamara later admitted he asked what the all-time record was after his third score, only to find out from a coach that he was just halfway there. He wasn’t deterred.
“I was like, s*, let’s go, maybe I can get it,” Kamara said.
The Saints had just one sustained drive in the third quarter, which Kamara capped off with a 6-yard touchdown. It all added up to a career-high 155 rushing yards on just 22 carries.
His Week 16 exploits give Kamara 16 rushing touchdowns on the season, tied with Cook for the NFL lead and one ahead of Derrick Henry?. But in terms of the last 90 years of football, Kamara now runs alone.