Run game has 100 reasons to improve
PHILADELPHIA >> The next Eagles player to rush for 100 yards in a game deserves to have his cleats bronzed. At the least, he ought to be on the cover of the Gameday program.
No NFL team has gone longer without a 100-yard rusher than the Eagles, who haven’t seen one of their own achieve that distinction since LeGarrette Blount erupted for 136 in a 26-24 win over the Los Angeles Chargers during the 2017 Super Bowl championship season.
Including the playoffs, it’s been 33 games since the bell was rung. The way the ground game went in Atlanta, it might be another 33 before that changes. But if the Eagles ask for volunteers to end the streak, rookie Miles Sanders would be happy to oblige.
“Just continue to keep working and hopefully one day, I’m the one
who got 100 yards,” Sanders said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Sanders rushed for 100 or more yards five times as the lead back at Penn State last season. That followed a role as understudy to the incomparable Saquon Barkley, who went over 100 yards in the first halves of games.
Make no mistake, the Eagles are sweet on Sanders, the 210-pounder with a jump-cut and breakaway speed. Almost effortlessly, he dropped 200 rushing yards on Big 10 foe Illinois.
Sanders obviously has learned that yardage is a lot tougher to gather on the NFL level. In two games he has 53 yards on a teamhigh 21 carries.
“I’ve really got to be out there and just ... be myself, not overthink anything and just play the game,” Sanders said. “It will come one of these days. Just continue to work every day and on Sundays play every down.”
The rushing numbers don’t lie. The Eagles are 20-2 (.909) in games where they’ve rushed for 100 or more yards since the start of the 2017 season, a winning percentage slightly behind only the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. Since 2018, they’re 9-1 (.900) in games with 100 or more rushing yards, the fifth-best percentage in the league.
Additionally, the Eagles are 14-0 rushing for 120 or more yards since 2017, tied with the Rams and the Lions for the top winning percentage in such games.
And, this just in, the Lions have been gashed for 249 rushing yards, allowing the opposition an average of 124.5 per game.
The Eagles have a chance to get the run game back on track this week. Alex Ellis teams with Zach Ertz to give the Birds the two-tight end sets they missed when Dallas Goedert (calf) was hurt in the pregame warmups in Atlanta. Receivers Mack Hollins and JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who likely will replace DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery (calf), should be more familiar with their roles. The offensive line that was flagged for four holding penalties – two on left guard Isaac Seumalo – has something to prove.
“We’ve got to do a better job of running the football and take the load off the passing game,” right tackle Lane Johnson said. “Moving forward that will be a big part of what we’re trying to do. It’s not the backs. I think it’s us up front. We’ve just got to do a better job of blocking. I think we’ll do that moving forward.”
All of that said, the Eagles have had a 100-yard rusher just three times since Doug Pederson took over in 2016. They’re 2-1 (.667) in those games, Ryan Mathews hitting the 100-yard mark twice in 2016 and Blount doing the job the following year.
Contrast that with the Dallas Cowboys and running back Zeke Elliott, who has 22 games of 100-or more yards since his 2016 rookie season. The Cowboys are 18-4 (.818) in those games. The Eagles preferred the running back by committee approach earlier in Pederson’s tour, although that was out of necessity. They traded for veteran Jordan Howard, who produced 14 career 100yard rushing games with the Chicago Bears. They lured Darren Sproles out of retirement. He has three 100-yard games in his career.
Someone is going to get it started. The smart money would be on Sanders, who showed the burst he has on a 21-yard scoring run in the opener against the Washington Redskins. That was nullified by a hold on Arcega-Whiteside.
“At the end of the day I definitely believe I have the ability to bounce it out and beat anybody with speed if I had to,” Sanders said. “It’s just me, making more sharp decisions and not out there hesitating. Just trusting my eyes.”
Bronze the cleats, preserve that moment in time, give them the game ball and at the least nominate whoever it is for the NFL’s Courtyard Unstoppable Performance of the Year.
Because 100-yard rushing games don’t happen much around here.