Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
McCoy shows Eagles what running game looks like
Doug Pederson had said this week he wanted to see the Eagles start establishing a real run game when they played the Buffalo Bills Thursday night.
Pederson indeed saw that running game come to life ... in the familiar flash of LeSean McCoy.
The former Eagles backfield star didn’t need to spend much time antagonizing his old fans and team; he carried just four times in the Bills’ 2016 exhibition loss to the Birds. But McCoy gained 21 yards on those four carries, reminding Pederson and everyone else what the heart and soul of a running game really looks like.
“Right now I’m just trying to get back into the game, knocking off some rust,” McCoy said in the visitors locker room. “This was actually the first time that I got hit in either drills or a game. It was good ... I thought overall we played OK today. I think we’re going to build on it and be ready for Week 1.”
McCoy, 29, now three seasons removed from his Shady dealings with the Eagles, should look more than ready coming off a terrific 2016 season for the Bills. The veteran running back ran for 1,267 yards, a tremendous 5.4 yards per carry average, and scored 13 touchdowns while playing in 15 games.
It was his best yardage output since his last Eagles season and best season from a scoring production standpoint since 2011.
To McCoy, however, he still has a lot left to give.
“For sure,” he said. “I’m sure a lot of defenders for different teams would tell you that, too. It’s one of those things where I have to prove myself again; that’s one of the things I’ve been doing since I’ve been in the league as a rookie. I look forward to the challenge.
“The cool thing about it is it won’t be as hard, because of the guys around me. My line is really good. They’re giving me opportunities and space to go 1-on-1 against the defenders. “So I look forward to it.” Looking back, however, he knows the recent history of the once-proud Bills. The last time they made the playoffs, LeSean McCoy was a 12-year-old kid in Harrisburg. The Bills’ 22-16 loss
to the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 8, 2000 would be the last time they sniffed the postseason air.
They may or may not be ready to return to the playoffs, but McCoy is going to be positive.
“When you’re done, the biggest number you want to get is the ring,” he said. “With this team, we haven’t made the playoffs in a long time. Hopefully we can get that established and accomplish that and then if I get the ring, man ... it’s always in the back of my mind. It keeps me motivated.”
He admits that physically, he needs the occasional push, saying advice he received from Darren Sproles to “the whole year ... stay the same weight, even in the offseason,” has helped him as he’s aged.
“I think just overall, it’s best to just maintain it,” McCoy said. “When I younger I could eat anything and I could hang out and I could still be LeSean McCoy. Right now I have to watch what I eat and get some decent sleep. Small things that you didn’t think actually matter, actually matters.”
NOTES » Eagles’ best runner was Corey Clement, their fifth back on the depth chart. He ran 8 times for 34 yards and a touchdown . ... In addition to his four carries for 21 yards, McCoy caught a pass that went for 11 yards . ... McCoy’s new teammate Corey “Philly” Brown, the All-Delco out of Cardinal O’Hara High and the Ohio State product who signed with Buffalo in the offseason after three years with Carolina, was targeted three times and had one catch for 17 yards. Brown was unavailable after the game.