USA TODAY International Edition
Eagles eye more balance with RB stable
PHILADELPHIA – When Torrey Smith looks at his team’s running back platoon and reflects on how they are used, he’s reminded of a toolbox, more specifically, a collection of hammers and picks.
“They’re all different,” the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver explains. “They move different; they’re different sizes. Look at LeGarrette, or even Corey, and Jay. They’re just all different builds. The only thing they have in common is that they all run hard.”
LeGarrette Blount stands 6 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds. Jay Ajayi is 6-0, 223, Corey Clement 5-10, 220, and the fourth member of the group, Kenjon Barner, 5-9, 195.
“Defenses, when one comes in the game … it’s a different threat,” Smith said, shaking his head. “If you’re dealing with LeGarrette, he’s a load. And if you’re dealing with him each and every play and you’re getting the hammer, getting the hammer, and then all of a sudden Kenjon or Corey comes in bringing a spark. Or even Jay can be the hammer, and you mix it up, getting LaGarrette, a different size hammer! It totally throws you off and you have to adjust all over again. So, with those guys, it really helps us with attack the defense and enables us to mix it up a lot.”
The Eagles don’t have one clear-cut feature back. Instead, they have used the foursome to collectively pound and chip away at opponents en route to the NFC East title, a conference-leading 13-3 record, a playoff win against Atlanta in the divisional round and now the NFC Championship Game in which they host Minnesota on Sunday.
During the regular season, Philadelphia ranked third in the NFL in rushing, averaging 135 yards per game. However, only once did a single back surpass the 100-yard mark (Blount gained 136 against the Chargers in Week 4).
Instead, the Eagles have pieced together their attack with Blount — the starter for 11 games — averaging 47.9 yards per game, and Ajayi — acquired via trade from Miami on Oct. 31 and the starter the past three games — leads the team at 58.3. Meanwhile, coaches have sprinkled in Clement and Barner.
Effectively using the collection of backs ranks among the leading priorities for the offense Sunday.
The Eagles offense has lacked the same potency with Nick Foles at quarterback in place of injured Carson Wentz. And because the Vikings hold foes to 192 passing yards per contest (second fewest in the league), Foles will need all the help he can get.
However, Minnesota also is stingy against the run, holding teams to 83.6 yards per game. (The Vikings also hold teams to 15.7 points.)
“They’ve got a really good front seven,” Blount said of the Vikings. “That’s where the run game starts for both sides: our offensive line and their D-line, their backers and our tight ends. It’s going to be a grind and there will be times that we will have to settle for 2and 3-yard gains because they are among the best in the league.”
During the regular season, with Philly boasting one of the most prolific offenses, Wentz garnered much of the spotlight. Through 13 games, he led the league with 33 touchdown passes. (Russell Wilson finished first this season with 34 in 16 games.)
But the rushing attack helped keep opponents off-balance and eased pressure on Wentz. Now Foles needs similar support as the Eagles try to reignite an offense that has struggled since Wentz’s injury.
Foles has averaged 171.25 passing yards per start compared with the 253 Wentz averaged. But the Eagles rushing attack also has regressed. After producing 143 rushing yards per game in the first 13 games, the Eagles have have averaged 88 yards in each of their past four games, including their playoff opener against Atlanta.
Philadelphia’s offense averaged 31.07 points during the first 13 games compared with the 17 in each of the past four. And after producing 22.4 first downs per contest, they’ve averaged 17 in each of the past four.
But Philadelphia’s backs have put those games behind them.
“We’re focused on the Minnesota Vikings,” Blount said. “We couldn’t care less about any of that. As long as we go execute the game plan, I feel like we’ll be good.”
Every defense aims to first take away the threat of the run to make offenses one-dimensional. But doing so has become easier with Wentz on the sideline. And Minnesota will no doubt follow the same blueprint. But Philadelphia’s backs and linemen view this as a challenge.
“We definitely love a challenge as an O-line, and we know that we’ve got to be at our best this week,” left guard Stefen Wisniewski said.
“It should be that way. It’s the NFC championship. We have to be aggressive, be physical. It’s worked for us every game this year, so we’re just going to go do what we’ve been doing. … Nothing is broke. If we stick to what we’ve been doing, we’ll be fine.”