Last Updated on August 7, 2011 7:31 pm by admin
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The little man was a big mismatch.
The departure of Darren Sproles for New Orleans, all 5-foot-6 of him, leaves a big hole in the San Diego Chargers’ offense.
Besides being among the NFL’s best return men for parts of his six-year tenure in San Diego, Sproles also was a key to coach Norv Turner’s offense, especially an aerial attack that ranked among the NFL’s top three in passer rating since 2008.
Sproles had deceiving strength and Turner new that when he called a pass against a gambling defense Sproles would keep blitzers from quarterback Philip Rivers.
A pass to Sproles also meant trouble for defenders. He turned dump passes into first downs or touchdowns, scoring from 57, 61 and 81 yards in the last three years.