Quick – which player leads the NFL in all purpose yards? You may think a big name receiver like Andre or Calvin Johnson. You may think of a brusing running back like Darren McFadden or Adrian Peterson. You might even consider electric return men like Devin Hester. Instead, the most impactful skill position player so far this season may in fact be the smallest player in the National Football League – Darren Sproles of the New Orleans Saints. Through four games, Sproles leads the entire league with 716 all purpose yards. In the physically imposing NFL where bigger is usually better, this may come as something of a surprise.
At 5’6″ 190 pounds, it’s easy to lose Darren Sproles amongst talented NFL players. Coming out of Kansas State though, it’s not like Sproles should have easily been lost in the shuffle. He led college football in rushing in 2003 with 1,986 yards, led an upset of #1 Oklahoma in the Big XII title game, and finished fifth in the Heisman voting. His pro career in San Diego really didn’t get fully started until the 2007 season after barely seeing the field in 2005 and missing the 2006 season.
2008 was something of a breakout season as he starred in a primetime game against Denver and then San Diego’s playoff victory over the Colts with a massive 328 all purpose yards. After two more seasons in San Diego including a franchise tag, Sproles signed this offseason as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints. The move came quickly and without much fanfare compared to that 1-3 Dream Team in Philadelphia. Saints QB Drew Brees had recruited Sproles as a replacement for Reggie Bush, traded to Miami after an up and down tenure in The Big Easy.
In New Orleans, the signing of Sproles was met with quiet optimism. He fit Reggie Bush’s role in the return game, running game, and passing game like a glove. But Sproles wasn’t the second pick in the draft. He didn’t have the fanfare and the hype of Reggie Bush and he didn’t have the array of highlight reel plays. For as much flak as Reggie Bush received, there’s no doubting his pivotal role in the Saints’ championship season and blossomming success. Of course, there were maddening aspects of Bush’s game – fumbles, drops, sideways runs – but his dynamism was always an element for defenses to consider. He was far from a bust in New Orleans as some would lead you to believe. Could Darren Sproles fill his star studded shoes?
So far through the first four games, the answer has been a resounding yes. And more.
He had 250 all purpose yards against Green Bay in the season opener including this scintillating punt return for a touchdown…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wiochIJbDs8?hd=1
In Sunday’s win over Jacksonville, it was Darren Sproles and Jimmy Graham who were the lynchpins of the Saints offense. While Graham was the favorite receiver of Drew Brees in the passing game, Sproles had his usual smorgasbord of offense. 7 carries for 75 yards, 5 receptions for 56 yards, and had 57 return yards. And of course, appearances all over the highlight video.
Darren Sproles has taken Reggie Bush’s role and expanded it, already recording a punt return, rushing, and receiving touchdown through four games. For one, he’s much more surehanded than Reggie Bush. No longer do Saints fans have to close one eye until their punt returner can safely field a kick or cringe whenever their triple threat running back goes into a tackle. Sproles is a durable, tough runner that belies his size. His low center of gravity and small size actually may help him. He can fit through holes bigger backs simply can’t and his quick, evasive cuts are a terror for every level of the defense. Sproles is simply more consistent, reliable and just as explosive as Reggie Bush. He also gets north and south faster than you can say stripped Heisman Trophy. In truth, he’s everything Reggie Bush was and wasn’t for the New Orleans offense.
The production of Darren Sproles should not be a surprise – he’s finished in the Top 5 of all purpose yards each of the last three years. To see him leading the NFL this year after moving to one of the most powerful offensive teams might not come as a surprise… until you look deeper inside the numbers.
The impact of moving the kickoff from the 30 to the 35 yard line is cleary seen in Sproles’ kick return numbers, as with other return men in the league. When one examines the statistic of all purpose yards, it’s usually kick return yardage that accounts for a large chunk. Over Sproles’ career in San Diego, his kick return yardage accounted for 64.9% of those yards (6469 of 9958).
This year in New Orleans, Sproles’ kick return yardage has only accounted for 35% of his total yards (251 of 716). Sproles is projected to return about 15 less kickoffs this year and have 300 yards less than his years of full time action in San Diego. But, he’s more than made up for that by having a much bigger impact from scrimmage. Sproles is projected for career highs in rushing (536 projected vs a previous high of 343 yards in 2009) and receiving (896 projected vs a previous high of 520 yards in 2010). His projected yards from scrimmage this year (1,432) would almost double his previous high in 2009 (840). Believe it or not, the statistical wonders of Darren Sproles don’t stop there. Darren Sproles…
-Leads the Saints in total yards, receptions, tied for the team lead in touchdowns
-Leads all NFL running backs (with at least 15 rushes) with 8.9 yards per carry
-Leads all NFL running backs in 1st down percentage (40%)
-Is tied for the lead amongst all NFL running backs for receptions (26)
Sean Payton knows what he has in Darren Sproles. Even in a crowded backfield with Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas, it’s Darren Sproles that has seen the highest number of snaps in the 2011 season. In an already deep, high powered, versatile Saints offense, who would have thought Darren Sproles could not just be plugged in effectively, but become their most potent weapon.
Photo via Daylife.com
