Philadelphia Eagles’ running back Miles Sanders has MVP-ambitions in 2020.
It must be tough being a running back in 2020.
Careers are shorter, a big-money payday is notably hard to come by, and teams actively look for the next big thing every two-to-three years in the draft. Where a player like Adrien Peterson could once dominate as an offensive focal point, now we’re left with a league almost fully transitioned over to a ‘running back by committee’ approach that prioritizes situational optimization over the bell cow rushers of yore.
Honestly, what even is a bell cow rusher in 2020?
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So when a player like Miles Sanders repeatedly declares 2020 his ‘MVP Year’ in a workout video shared by B/R Gridiron it’s going to receive a good bit of backlash online.
Think about it, the league hasn’t had a non-quarterback MVP since Peterson accomplished the feat all the way back in 2012, and he did so on the back of a 2,000 yard rushing season. Can a player like Sanders who didn’t even rush for 1,000 yards as a rookie hope to unseat Lamar Jackson as league MVP?
I mean seriously, Jackson ran for more yards, and scored more rushing touchdowns than Sanders in 2019 and he also threw for 3,127 and 36 touchdowns through the air. How can any running back ever hope to beat out the likes of Jackson and Patrick Mahomes to earn the Associated Press’s ultimate honor?
Simply put, they can’t. It’s just never going to happen, not anymore. Barring a complete transformation in how offenses operate, which seems less and less likely as the ‘Air Raid’ graduates from a college-only system to the NFL, there will never be a running back who leads his team in offensive touches over a quarterback ever again. For my purists out there pining for the days of Eric Dickerson, this is a rather bitter pill to swallow, but it’s just a fact. Larry Johnson holds the NFL record for most carries in a season at 416 and his total touches (457) just barely beat out the Kansas City Cheifs‘ passing attempts (450).
That being said, I don’t fault Sanders for his ambition, I actually applaud it.
Sure, he may never earn a league MVP award, an offensive MVP, or even lead the NFC East in rushing yards over his college teammate Saquon Barkley, or his college (team’s) rival Ezekiel Elliott, but Sanders is a really good running back tailor-made not only for the Eagles’ scheme but for what NFL running backs are asked to do in 2020.
Sanders is a prototypical elusive back born to operate in a zone-blocking scheme. While he may dance around a bit too much for some RB purists, his ability to make plays in open space is second to none in the Eagles’ offense. For what it’s worth, Sanders is also a fantastic receiver both out of the backfield and in the slot, a skill he was seldom asked to showcase at Penn State, but would have surely vaulted him up draft boards to a surefire first-rounder.
As evidenced by his Week 6 performance against the Minnesota Vikings, Sanders is totally capable of passing into triple digits as a receiver Corey Clement style when utilized correctly, a fact that Doug Pederson will surely exploit this fall.
Sidebar: Forget a three tight end set. I would love to see the Eagles run a three running back set with Sanders, Boston Scott, and Clement on the field at the same time. Pair that triplet up with Jalen Hurts in the backfield, Jalen Reagor wide left and DeSean Jackson wide right and watch in awe as opposing defensive coordinators scramble to shut that down in a no-huddle offense.
If Sanders works on his blocking just a tad he could very well become an every-down back like Barkley and Elliott before him, even if the Eagles don’t plan on using him in that role anytime soon.
Look, I get it. Is entering your name for consideration for league MVP, in May, in the middle of a quarantine, when you play running back a bit lofty? Totally, but isn’t that sort of boundless self-confidence something fans should laud in their professional athletes? Miles Sanders clearly loves playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and wants to do everything in his power to make the team better this fall. Give me that over an unmotivated, 26-year-old future firefighter any day.