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The Saints offense fared well in the first four weeks of the season and they’ll be getting a piece back in the lineup as they try to keep it going in the second quarter of the season.

Running back Mark Ingram is back after serving a four-game suspension to open the season and that restores the backfield tandem that the Saints rode to great success last season. Alvin Kamara remained productive with Ingram out of action, but head coach Sean Payton said that Ingram’s return will help keep “wear and tear” from catching up on him later in the season.

After four weeks off, Ingram doesn’t have any wear and tear and said Thursday that he’s raring to go.

“I’m going to be excited, for sure,” Ingram said, via the team’s website. “I’ve had a lot of stuff pent up and built up and I’m ready to go. I’m hungry and I’m ready to play ball and help our team. We’ve been playing well so I’m just trying to make us stronger, to make us more explosive. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Kamara saw nearly 23 touches a game over the first four weeks, which is a big jump from his workload as a rookie. That number will come down, but his success in the expanded role makes it seem likely that Ingram will also see a drop from the 18 touches he averaged last season.