The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Sanders wants to be a winner
Birds rookie running back just wants wins
LANDOVER, MD. » A second-round draft pick out of Penn State with a chance to compete for immediate playing time, Miles Sanders established only sensible goals for his rookie season with the Eagles. As for re-writing franchise history, that wasn’t necessarily on the list.
“My expectation was to do whatever I can do to help,” Sanders said Sunday, after helping plenty in a 37-27 victory over the Washington Redskins. “That’s what I said when I first came to this team.”
As for his play, that said plenty. With 122 rushing yards and 50 yards receiving Sunday, Sanders would have 1,118 total offensive yards for the season, breaking DeSean Jackson’s Eagles rookie standard of 1,108. And with a 56yard run juicing his boxscore line, Sanders would finish the day with 689 rushing yards (and counting) for the season, bettering LeSean McCoy’s franchise rookie standard of 637. History, indeed. “It’s a blessing, man,” Sanders said. “This stuff doesn’t feel real. But I don’t want to make this about me. It’s great to be mentioned with those guys, to be in the same conversation as those guys. But I was focused on getting this W. We know what we have at stake. We know what’s in front of us. And I was just trying to get the W.”
While in the midst of setting those records, Sanders did plenty to do that, too. His 15-yard touchdown reception from Carson Wentz helped give the Eagles a 1714 third quarter lead. And his 56yard effort on third-and-10 was a fourth-quarter difference-maker, taking the Eagles from their 25 to the Washington 19, setting up a go-ahead Jake Elliott field goal.
“It was just trusting the call,”