MVN - Most Valuable Network

Two Savvy Backups Give the Saints Spark They Need

Emerging from relative obscurity Monday night, WR David Patten and RB Aaron Stecker posted season highs in yards gained as New Orleans cruised to a 34-14 shellacking of division rival Atlanta.

Patton, who had a 109-yard game earlier this season against San Francisco, caught nine balls for 122 yards and a touchdown.

Before last night’s game, Aaron Stecker’s season high in rushing yards was 42, earned two weeks ago against Carolina.  The Western Illinois product easily topped that against the Falcons, rushing for 100 yards on only 20 carries.

Is it mere coincidence that the Saints are turning to their veteran players for leadership at the most crucial point of the season?  Or is it the fact that the only two players on the roster with Super Bowl rings are simply taking charge when charge needed to be taken? 

Make no mistake; Drew Brees is the unquestioned leader of this team.  Both on and off the field, the Saints go as Brees goes.

But you can’t discount the value of veteran leadership.

Patton has been to the big show before.  He has three rings from the early days of the Patriots ongoing dynasty, which means he caught passes from the god of football himself, Tom Brady. 

Not to mention he was coached by the most diabolically brilliant coach we’ve seen in the maybe the history of the game, Bill Belicheck 

If you don’t learn what it takes to win from Brady and Belicheck, you’re head must be firmly buried in the sand. 

I’m pretty sure Patton’s head remained above ground over the years, which is why he’s been such a valued addition to this Saints roster.  He knows how to win and he’s out there showing the rest of the Saints receivers how to do it. 

Aaron Stecker is another guy who the Saints are likely looking to for leadership.  Serving as a backup the past four seasons in New Orleans, Stecker has earned the respect of the coaching staff and fellow teammates for his team-first attitude. 

He has quietly gone about his business while in New Orleans, first backing up Deuce McAllister and then backing up Deuce and Reggie Bush and then backing up just Bush. 

Now, with Bush and Deuce both shelved for the season with knee injuries, it’s Stecker’s time to shine. 

Don’t forget that Stecker is a Super Bowl Champion as well.  Playing alongside Mike Alstott and Michael Pittman in 2002, Stecker helped Tampa Bay snag their first ever title. 

Granted, Stecker was just a complimentary player on that Super Bowl team, but that’s what he’s been for the Saints the past four seasons.  And that’s what he’ll continue to be for as long as he stays in the league. 

Fortunately for Stecker, a complimentary running game to support their high-powered aerial attack is just what the Saints need right now.

Without veteran guys like these around the team, the Saints would be a ship without a rudder. 

Let’s just hope that rudder steers the black-and-gold ship all the way to the playoffs. 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 at 5:44 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.