New Orleans Saints’ Mark Ingram (22) runs into the end zone for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in the second half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
In case you couldn’t already tell he’s red hot at the moment, Saints running back Mark Ingram is up for his second straight FedEx Ground Player of the Week award following New Orleans’ 28-10 win at Carolina on Thursday night, his team announced Tuesday.
Ingram ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns off a career-high 30 carries against the Panthers. Four days earlier, in a 44-23 victory at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome over the Packers, Ingram picked up 172 yards and a score on 24 carries.
That was not only good enough to earn him a FedEx Ground Player of the Week award. It also meant in Carolina he became the first Saints player to deliver back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances since Deuce McAllister did that in 2006.
McAllister had 136 yards against San Francisco and 111 at Dallas during that stretch.
A 2011 first-round draft choice out of Alabama for the Saints, Ingram is up against Bengals running back Jeremy Hill and Eagles running back LeSean McCoy for this week’s award.
Hill, a rookie and former LSU standout, had 24 carries for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-23 win versus the Jaguars. McCoy racked up 117 yards on 23 carries in a 31-21 win over the Texans.
Fans can vote for Ingram, Hill or McCoy at NFL.com/FedEx. The winner will be announced Thursday.
If Ingram wins, it’d be the third FedEx Ground Player of the Week award of his career. He clinched his first after rushing for 145 yards and a touchdown in the Saints’ 49-17 win against the Cowboys in 2013.