Sanders’ benching a teaching moment
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni sent a message to Miles Sanders last Sunday when the running back ran out of bounds instead of staying inside the lines to keep the clock running late in the fourth quarter.
Time awareness been a recurring issue with Sanders, the thirdyear vet out of Penn State.
“We pulled him out of the game and just reminded him again to stay in bounds,” Sirianni said. “I know he had two (such mistakes) in Carolina. Repeat offenders of things - we usually get mad at. And he knows that. Shoot, if he had that next carry and didn’t have to come out of the game, he would have had 100 yards. So, he found that out. And he knows that and we’re working on getting it fixed. And I know Miles wants to get it fixed more than anybody.”
Sanders finished with 92 rushing yards in the Eagles’40-29 win over the Saints, his first action in four weeks. He’s second on the Eagles with 394 rushing yards, trailing only quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has 618 yards and eight touchdowns.
Sanders took the coaching points in stride.
“I’ve just got to learn from my mistakes concerning stuff I’ve got to do and just be disciplined and follow [coaching points],” Sanders said. “Despite [missing] the 100 yards, I’m just happy we won the game.”
With Jordan Howard nursing an ailing knee, Sanders is going to get plenty of opportunities to redeem himself Sunday when the Eagles oppose the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium Sunday. Though Sirianni likes the running back rotation that now will include Boston Scott and rookie Kenneth Gainwell, he has no problem feeding the big dog.
“If somebody gets hot,” Sirianni said “no doubt we’ll stick with it.”
The game also marks a get-together with Saquon Barkley, who Sanders backed up at Penn State. Barkley was hurt last year.
“It’s just always good playing against him because you know we always talk about stuff like this,” Sanders said. “Never thought we would be playing each other twice a year but it’s always special playing against somebody you
dreamed with and talked about stuff like this with.”
*** Sirianni’s fears were true with linebacker Davion Taylor, who was placed on injured reserve, sidelining him at least three games.
Taylor underwent knee surgery per Sirianni.
“We could get him back,” Sirianni said. “Nothing’s ruled out quite yet so I don’t want to give a timetable on anything there. But it was his knee. I don’t know exactly the terminology of what it was but it was his knee he had surgery on and he could be back later in the season.”
Sirianni expects linebackers Alex Singleton and Shaun Bradley (shoulder) to take over the snaps played by Taylor.
For insurance, the signed linebacker Christian Elliss to the practice squad.
***
The Giants’ firing of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has sent the Eagle coaching staff in search of film of Freddie Kitchens’ tour as head coach and play-caller with the Browns in 2017.
Kitchens was a senior offensive assistant with the Giants when Garrett was dumped for not scoring enough points. The Eagles are trying to avoid being caught offguard.
“There’s going to be different looks, different things he does that Coach Garrett doesn’t do,” Sirianni said. “It’s a change. If Shane (Steichen) was calling plays instead of me it’s going to look different. There’s going to be different things.”
The Giants (3-7) average 18.9 points and allow 24.6 points.
The Eagles (5-6), winners of two straight games and three of the last four are favored by 3.5-points over the Giants for Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium.
*** Eagles kicker Jake Elliott was named NFC special teams player of the week.
Elliott kicked four field goals and four PATs worth 16 points in the 11-point decision over the Saints.
It’s the second POW award for Elliott, who also got one after kicking a club-record 61yard field goal to defeat the Giants in 2017 at the Linc.
Elliott and David Akers are the only Eagles’ kickers to win the award multiple times. Akers was named POW seven times.
Elliot and Stephen Gostkowski are the only products of Memphis to win special teams POW honors multiple times.
Earlier in the season Eagles linebacker TJ Edwards won that weekly award after blocking a punt to set up the winning score in a 21-18 triumph over the Carolina Panthers.