Philadelphia Eagles: Miles Sanders needs to get on track
The Philadelphia Eagles need rookie running back Miles Sanders to get on track.
Entering the season, the Philadelphia Eagles were picked as a team who had a great chance of making a Super Bowl run. With fantastic talent and depth on both sides of the ball, many thought that the Eagles would represent the NFC in the Super Bowl as long as quarterback Carson Wentz could stay healthy.
Wentz has been healthy, but the Eagles are 1-2 on the season and could be in danger of falling well behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East if they do not get it together soon. Injuries have certainly played a major role in the Eagles’ slow start, but they still undoubtedly have the talent to turn this around quickly. Offensively, they are specifically going to need more out of rookie running back Miles Sanders.
Sanders was a second-round pick by the Eagles in the 2019 NFL Draft. He showed plenty of promise in college and was expected to make an impact at the next level. Sanders is an explosive player who shows great burst through the hole, elusiveness in the open field and finishes runs with consistent forward lean and nice power. He also has the speed to pull away from defenders when he gets in space.
Through three games, the Philadelphia Eagles have gone with a relatively even three-way split in the backfield. That being said, Sanders has been the leading back in the committee, playing in 41 percent of the Eagles’ snaps so far this season. In comparison, Darren Sproles has played in 33 percent of their offensive snaps, while Jordan Howard is seeing the field 25 percent of the time.
Unsurprisingly, Sanders is also leading the Philadelphia Eagles in carries. However, his 34 attempts for 106 yards (3.1 yards per carry) leaves plenty to be desired. The Eagles are clearly looking to showcase Sanders as the lead back in their offense, but the rookie has yet to be able to reward them for their trust.
It appears to me that Sanders needs to learn how to get downhill more. He is dancing behind and at the line of scrimmage way too often, always looking to break a big run as opposed to taking what the defense gives him. Sanders has the skill set to break the big play, but he needs to learn that consistently gaining positive yardage is extremely valuable in the NFL.
If he continues to put up mediocre production because he dances around too much, the Eagles are going to have to limit his carries. That being said, he is clearly the most talented back on the roster, so if they are forced to sit him more, it limits their offensive upside.
The Philadelphia Eagles are still an extremely talented football team who could easily make a run in the coming week. However, their slow start to the season is not going to make this any easier. Simply put, if the Eagles are going to reach their ceiling as a football team, they need to get more out of their rookie running back.