Alvin Kamara told everyone a few weeks ago that it was time to shut up.
They said the Saints were done, that Drew Brees was finished. They said that Sean Payton had become predictable and boldly stated that the end had arrived during the third quarter of a season-opening win. No need to see more. Twenty or so passes were enough to get on national television and confidently tell the world that the end had arrived.
Kamara's response a couple of weeks later was sage advice. Anyone paying attention to this team and studying the cause of the issues saw that the timing was off, that the newcomers still looked like newcomers. Either you believed those things would forever remain an issue, or you thought that this offense, one of the best of the last two decades, would figure out how to get players to run routes to the right depth and get the timing figured out.
Either way, a smart person would have taken Kamara's advice to stop talking. The issue needed more time and evidence. Together, those two things have shown that Drew Brees and the Saints are still Drew Brees and the Saints – or at least close enough that any conversations about irrevocable demise need to get sidelined. Sunday's 27-24 win over Carolina was proof positive that this team can still get it done under the most difficult circumstances.
