Pierre Thomas won't play vs. Eagles
METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas has officially been ruled out of Saturday's playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles with a back injury.
Thomas was unable to practice all week after suffering the injury last week against Tampa Bay.
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Thomas will obviously be missed. He's been a reliable and versatile back for the Saints all season with a team-high 549 rushing yards, a career-high 77 receptions for 513 yards and five combined touchdowns. He has also been an asset in pass protection.
The Saints are confident in their depth at tailback, though, especially with third-year pro Mark Ingram playing some of his best football over the past three weeks.
The Saints also have versatile running back Darren Sproles as a huge part of their offense, as well as young backups Khiry Robinson and Travaris Cadet at their disposal.
'We've kept five this year, which is unusual,' Payton said of the Saints' running back depth. 'We felt those five guys were really important to what we do in our roster. Each one of those guys has a different skill set. The versatility is important.'
The run game isn't a heavy part of the Saints' offense in a traditional sense. They ranked 26th in the NFL in rushing attempts and 25th in yards per game (92.1). However, they feature a heavy dose of screen passes and swing passes that have the same effect. Sproles also caught 71 passes for 604 yards this year.
The only other names on the Saints' injury report are backup safety Rafael Bush (probable with an ankle injury) and backup linebacker Keyunta Dawson (questionable with a calf injury).
ESPN New Orleans Saints reporter
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