NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Running back C.J. Spiller came to New Orleans as a free agent this past offseason figuring that his speed and versatility would make him an ideal fit for coach Sean Payton’s offense.
Then a training camp injury caused him to miss the regular season opener, and his opportunities had been so limited during his first two games back that Payton acknowledged he probably needed to give Spiller more chances to make a play.
Now Spiller is one of the main reasons the Saints have their first victory of the season, a 26-20 triumph over Dallas on Sunday night that ended with the running back’s 80-yard catch and run on the second play of overtime.
“I’m always focused on staying in tune, because you never know when you are going to go out there,” Spiller said. “I wasn’t worried about how many times I was touching the ball throughout the game. I was making sure to keep my legs loose.”
His legs were loose enough for him to flash past a linebacker trying to cover him, then slip a desperate grasp by safety Barry Church before breaking into the clear. Not only was Spiller in tune with the game plan, he was aware that Brees had thrown his 399th career scoring pass earlier in the game. So moments after scoring, Spiller found Brees and gave him the ball with which the star QB had thrown his 400th TD.