I hope they give him the week off. Something about returning kicks and a bad hand just doesn't sound right to me.
i hear ya, mud and tend to agree . . . but, i'm leaning towards if he plays, i'm playing him . . . they've been succesful without him w/ the 3 headed attack, so i'm thinking if he's out there, he's good to go . . . who's active on todays report should help . . .
from cbs:
Saints RB Darren Sproles is questionable for Sunday's game at Oakland, interim coach Joe Vitt said Friday.
Sproles, who broke his left hand against Denver three weeks ago, returned to practice this week after missing New Orleans' wins against Philadelphia and Atlanta.
“He did practice today, but there is some swelling in the hand, and we're going to monitor that,” Vitt said. “We'll put our actives together on Saturday.”
Vitt added that Sproles would return punts and kickoffs if he were activated. Sproles just wants to get back on the field after his unexpected injury. He scored a touchdown on a reception against the Broncos and had no idea his hand was broken.
“I woke up (the following) Monday morning and my hand was swollen and hurting,” he said. “I went in for X-rays, and they said it was broken.”
He said the recovery has been frustrating because there is not much to do about a broken bone.
“You have to simulate it in practice,” he said. “They were trying to strip the ball out of my hand in practice to see if the strength was there. I'm going to have some kind of pain. I just have to fight through it.”
Sproles pronounced himself fit to return kicks, if needed.
“With the week of practice I had, taking punts and kicks I feel fine,” he said.
The Saints have had a running resurgence in Sproles' absence. Chris Ivory has rushed for 120 yards in his first two games of the season, and Mark Ingram has carried 23 times for 111 yards. Add starter Pierre Thomas, who leads the team in rushing, and it will be a crowded backfield if Sproles is cleared.
“It's a good problem to have,” offensive coordinator Peter Carmichael said. “We're just going to have to do a good job mixing these guys in and giving them their fair share of reps. We'll see how the game's going. They are all playing well, so we can use all four. Part of it is the flow of the game, and part of it is me making sure I'm calling the right plays to give these guys opportunities. We just have to be smart with how we're doing it.”
