http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2011/09/new_orleans_saints_coach_sean_166.htmlNew Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton says team still juggling three good backsFacing a coaching quandary nothing short of delicious, New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton acknowledged Monday the team still wrestles with working three talented running backs into its game plan each week. While trying to defend their Super Bowl XLIV title last season, Payton and New Orleans were forced to play without Pierre Thomas, their key running back in most offensive formations, and often without Reggie Bush, who was supposed to provide a spark and some speed to various packages. Thus diminished, the offense struggled. As Sunday's 30-13 victory over Chicago demonstrated, however, the Saints now have an upgraded running package with Thomas, rookie Mark Ingram, and free agent Darren Sproles. Ingram is able to do many of the same things Thomas does, which means Thomas has less pressure and takes fewer hits, while Sproles has proven even more combustible than Bush, scoring touchdowns in the first two games. To be sure, the Saints' offense will remain geared to quarterback Drew Brees and the passing attack. But Sunday's line score on the Saints' rushing productivity illustrated perfectly what Payton meant when he talked in the preseason about running the ball, "efficiently." New Orleans finished with 118 yards on 29 carries, with Ingram and Thomas combining for 23 of those runs. The team averaged 4.1 yards per carry. That is a statistical package that reflects a team that can get a yard or two on the ground when it must, and that showcases various backs the defense must respect and align against differently. Still, Payton said Monday the integration of the talented trio is, "a work in progress.""It's something we think about a lot, too," Payton said. "If you separate Darren's role a little bit, if you start with some nickel packages and a little bit of this 'lighting' term we use where we're wanting him specifically on the field much like with Reggie. I don't want to say that's easy, but that becomes the easy part of the equation. So if we can establish that we have a package that involves Sproles both in the nickel and in the base, then I think the bigger trick is coming up with a ways between Pierre and Mark. We try to give them some semblance of a rhythm, too, maybe a couple of series at a time. That whole time there are some times and groupings that might trump whatever the rotation might be. But there's a lot of thought given to it. I don't know that there's an exact science to it because at the end of the week, typically, I'm going through (it) with (running backs Coach Bret Ingalls). I think more than anything they want to be able to see their involvement with the plan and each game kind of unfolds a little differently in regards to what you're in and what you want to be in. It's kind of a work in progress."