Here's the next New Orleans Saints
Play of the Day in our look at their series history with the Las Vegas Raiders, this Sunday's opponent. The Saints visited the Raiders in Oakland back in 2012, with a familiar face coaching them: Dennis Allen. This was Allen's first year as an NFL head coach, and while he was still figuring things out, the Saints looked vulnerable with a historically-bad defense weighting them down.Leave it Mark Ingram II to put the game out of reach. Ingram shook off a tackle from Raiders safety Mike Mitchell and got to the edge thanks to a block from his fullback Jed Collins; at that point it was a footrace to the end zone. The Raiders' other safety (and future Saints assistant coach) Matt Giordano was in hot pursuit but
couldn't catch Ingram before he reached the goal line. You can watch it for yourself right here.
This wasn't Ingram's most important touchdown, or his longest gain, but it was a vindicating moment for a young player facing a lot of scrutiny after his rookie year didn't meet expectations. Ingram would eventually go on to prove he was worth a first-round pick by winning the Saints' all-time rushing title. Highlights like this proved he was capable of going the distance.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints Play of the Day: Mark Ingram II's 27-yard TD run vs. Raiders
