Ivory Taking Measures To Play

Saints running back Chris Ivory received a PRP (platelet rich plasma) injection to speed up his recovery time. Ivory missed the second half of last Sunday's game with a hamstring pull. He attributed the injury to cramps and dehydration, though there must have been something more to it. How else can you explain the PRP injection? The injection is supposed to boost soft tissue healing. For a runner with a bruising, physical style, one may be surprised to hear how Ivory reacted to a needle.

Ivory confided he might not have gone through with it had he seen the giant needle involved."I'm not really sure what it means, but I know what happens, the process," Ivory said. "They take blood out of your veins and they spin it in a machine and your red blood cells I believe drop to the bottom."

Ivory got the injection on Wednesday and the Saints should know Friday afternoon how effective it was and how likely Ivory will be to go against the Ravens. The undrafted rookie free agent has become an integral part of the Saints attack, and proved two weeks ago he can thrive in outdoor December environments when he rushed for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns at Cincinnati. He had gained 47 yards in the first quarter against the Rams when he left the game because his hamstring tightened.

"I think I'll be fine," he said. "I think I'll end up playing on Sunday. But I'm not sure. It just depends on how I feel coming into tomorrow or Saturday. I guess we'll see. I'm not really sure how things will work out. But if I feel like I'm not ready, I'm not going to go. I don't want any setbacks. It's late in the season and playoffs are coming up and I want to be a part of that."

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Ivory should be an integral part of the Saints game plan Sunday if he's able to play. The Ravens defense has lost a step over the years, but are still extremely physical. Ivory is a running back that initiates contact, perfect to counter the Ravens defense. With a run game, Drew Brees should be able to have a big day in the air. Kickoff in Baltimore on Sunday is set for noon.