Sean Payton has said that the New Orleans Saints' depth at running back gives them increased versatility.

The NFC South side have five on their roster heading into their playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles later today.

The head coach told reporters: "We've kept five this year, which is unusual. 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. That's one of the strengths of Pierre [Thomas], his versatility both in the passing game and the running game and with regards to protections."

The Saints ranked 25th in the league during the regular season for rushing yards.