Alvin Kamara returned from a four-game absence to rush for 120 yards and a touchdown as the New Orleans Saints ended a five-game losing streak by beating the New York Jets 30-9 on Sunday afternoon in East Rutherford, N.J.
Kamara came back from a knee injury to gain 145 yards from scrimmage on 31 touches and Brett Maher added three field goals as the Saints (6-7) won for the first time since defeating Tampa Bay on Halloween.
Taysom Hill, making his second consecutive start and playing through foot and finger injuries, passed for 175 yards and ran for another 73 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 15 of 21 passes and did not turn the ball over after throwing four interceptions in a 27-17 loss to Dallas 10 days earlier.
New Orleans held the Jets (3-10), who lost for the fifth time in six games, to 256 total yards. Zach Wilson completed 20 of 43 for 207 yards as New York managed just three field goals by Eddy Pineiro.
The Saints drove 80 yards to Maher’s 31-yard field goal that increased their lead to 13-6 late in the third quarter.
Maher added a 37-yard field goal to push the lead to 16-6 with 12:22 left in the game.
Hill added a two-yard touchdown run, Pineiro kicked a 36-yard field goal and Hill ran 44 yards for a touchdown with 1:07 left.
On their first possession, the Saints drove to the Jets five before stalling and Maher kicked a 23-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead that held up through the end of the first quarter.
New York didn’t convert a first down until its fourth possession when Wilson scrambled 18 yards for one first down and completed a 14-yard pass to Braxton Berrios on fourth and seven. That led to a 36-yard field goal by Pineiro, tying the score midway through the second quarter.
Kamara ran 16 yards for a touchdown to give New Orleans a 10-3 lead.
Pineiro kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired pulling the Jets within 10-6 at halftime.
–Field Level Media