Upgrade!
That's what New Orleans Saints fans were chanting up and down Bourbon Street after they watched new punt returner Darren Sproles take one 72 yards for a TD on Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers.
It was a huge swing in momentum after the Packers had came out of the gate on fire, scoring three TDs in the first quarter. The Lambeau crowd was in a frenzy and it looked like the Saints were in big trouble.
Sproles changed all of that.
The 28-year-old from Kansas State spent his first six years in the league as a member of the San Diego Chargers. Backup running back and punt/kick returner were his responsibilities.
After the Saints released Reggie Bush they needed a speedy guy to fill the void and Sproles was the perfect fit.
With the three-headed running attack of Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Sproles, the Saints have the best running game in the league.
While Thomas and Ingram will be in charge of getting the tough yards around the first-down marker, Sproles is responsible for making things happen. Thus far he has been relied upon as a receiving threat out of the backfield, something he has no problem doing. He caught five balls for 56 yards in the first half, including two big third-down grabs that moved the chains.
It's his versatility that takes the Saints offense to the next level. Bush could never stay healthy and that's why Sproles is such an upgrade. The 5'6", 190-pound back is as bulky as they come and injuries are not in his vocabulary.
He's missed a grand total of one game in his last three seasons. For somebody at that position...it's the definition of durability.
Factor his toughness in with his wide variety of skills on offense and special teams with his game-breaking speed and you have yourself the perfect complement to an already deadly Saints arsenal.
The Saints are Super Bowl-bound if Sproles continues to play like he has in Week 1.
Steve Garrison Phil Hughes Damaso Marte Mariano Rivera Kerry Wood Francisco Cervelli
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