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Darren SprolesDonald Miralle/Getty Images

Watching the Chargers/Steelers game on Sunday night I couldn't help but to think that we may have probably reached the point where Darren Sproles is a better running back than Ladanian Tomlinson. Sproles may be the smallest back in the NFL, which may be the reason he's only garnering playing time when Tomlinson is injured. At 5'6", he fits comfortably in the box of what many would label a third down back, which means playing the role of a runner who's job is to gather large chunks of yardage when the offense is in it's worst predicament, 3rd and long.

What also strikes me about the situation is that the San Diego Chargers have a knack for keeping quality back-up running backs. Former backup Michael Turner became a star with the Atlanta Falcons last season, while the Dan Fouts Chargers of the 80's boasted a stable of riches at the skill positions. My hometown Bengals would benefit by acquiring James Brooks who was doing bench duty for All-Pro tailback Chuck Muncie. In 1985 Chargers back Lionel "Little Train" James set the all-time NFL record for most yards in a season, despite being the same height as Sproles, and in the early 90's Ronnie Harmon would routinely convert 3rd downs in spectacular fashion, but never was the featured runner over heavyweights Marion Butts and Natrone Means.

I have sited the brief history of San Diego Chargers running backs to say this: If 3rd down backs are so good on 3rd down, couldn't they be good on 1st and 2nd down as well? Brooks, James and Sproles were given a chance to be regulars and thrived. Brooks ended his career as the Bengals all-time leading rusher. Harmon was never given that chance, and his career is now relatively forgotten.

By and large, the 3rd down backs who have become stars have only done so by accident. I'm convinced this is what happened in Philadelphia with Brian Westbrook in 2004. He got his shot at playing time only after the departure of Duce Staley and an injury to Correll Buckhalter. If Buckhalter stayed healthy, it's likely the Eagles would have kept him in the starting role. If he had been unsuccessful they probably would have drafted or traded for another back never knowing that on their roster was Westbrook, who would become one of the true fantasy football forces of the 2000's. The Eagles would base their offense around the unique skill sets of Westbrook treating every play almost like a 3rd down. The Eagles called more running back screen passes than any NFL team in recent memory. The offense has been more than productive this decade with sub-par receivers and no traditional running back relying primarily on a quality quarterback, and a 3rd down specialist turned full time player. Has anybody taken notice?

Seems to me that other teams and players could benefit from this system. Why wasn't Warrick Dunn given a larger role in Tampa Bay? How will this effect West Virginia's break-away back Noel Devine's draft status? And just what the hell were the Raiders doing with Napoleon Kaufman? He averaged 5.2 and 5.4 yards per carry in his final two years in the league, yet couldn't land a starting role over Tyrone Wheatley who was averaging a full yard less. Can this be listed as this NFL size discrimination? Giving big backs the nod over more productive smaller backs? Is there any real evidence that smaller backs are more injury prone than their larger counterparts? Bo Jackson, Christian Okoye, and Barry Foster had their careers cut short by injuries at a time when shorties Joe Morris, Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas ruled the league.

Now I'm not saying that every team should change up their offense to mimic Philadelphia, or the NFL should only start drafting backs the size of Gary Coleman, but if a teams running game is lacking, why not consider these as options. There's more than one way to move the rock in the National Football League and as San Diego has discovered, sometimes the star running back your looking for is already on the team.

Additional Notes:

Two weeks ago I wrote a column about the Dolphins not going to the wildcat offense nearly as much as they should, then last week they lose quarterback Chad Pennington for the season. I can't help thinking that this is the absolute perfect opportunity for a team to try out the wildcat on a full-time basis. Nobody could fault them for trying; nobody would criticize coach Tony Spurano for the decision. They're a 1-3 team right now. I want the wildcat!!! I demand the wildcat!!!

Michael VickTravis Lindquist/Getty Images

So Michael Vick played in an NFL game this past Sunday and the sun came up the following morning. No large-scale protest from animal rights activist. The planet didn't stop spinning and life went on as usual.

By the way, did jail suddenly increase Michael Vick's intelligence by about 30 IQ points? This guy is suddenly great in interviews, he’s articulating and insightful, it's crazy. I'm enjoying every Michael Vick interview now. I know this is a stretch but America loves a comeback, and I'm just going to put this thought out there and let it marinate. You ready, OK, here it is, Michael Vick, United States Senator. Bam, you heard it here first!

If Jamarcus Russell continues to complete only 30% of his passes, what are the Madden 2011 programmers going to do about his accuracy rating. His vision scope would have to be so narrow it would only be visible on the Cowboys stadium screen. Which leads me to this...

...Why in the hell isn't Jeff Garcia starting in the NFL? Are there really 32 better quarterbacks in the league than Garcia? Look at Tampa Bay, why did they let Garcia go? You are 9-7 last year with Garcia, now you're 0-4. By the way, the 49ers let him go in 2003 after he made 3 Pro Bowls with them, and have only now found success with another QB. Wouldn't they have done way better if they had held on to Garcia for the last 6 years? Wouldn't they have saved about $40 million from the Alex Smith contract? It’s the same scenario with Cleveland and Detroit, both former Garcia stops. What's the deal here? Is Jeff Garcia a jerk? Does Jeff Garcia carry the swine flu? Does Jeff Garcia kidnap children? Enquiring minds want to know.

I'm trying to figure out how Albert Haynesworth's departure from the Titans has ruined their defense but hasn't improved the Redskins. How many players are going to be great with other teams and come to Washington and fail to produce? I can't blame Skins owner Daniel Snyder as I've agreed with virtually every personal decision he's made in regards to players, but it hasn't yet paid dividends on the field. The Yankees take this same approach in baseball and make the playoffs every year. I don't get it; we need further research on this one.

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