Philadelphia Eagles: Miles Sanders needs to silence the doubters in 2022

The Philadelphia Eagles‘ rushing offense was second to none in the NFL last season… literally.

That’s right, despite throwing the ball an average of 34.571 times per game from Weeks 1-7, the Eagles finished out the 2021 NFL season with 550 rushing attempts for 2,715 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns, which rank second, first, and first league-wide.

Rushing; we’re talking about rushing.

And yet, unlike the second-leading run offense in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts, the Eagles’ top running back, Miles Sanders, received far less love than Jonathan Taylor, who led the league in rus… yards picked up on the ground at 1,811.

What gives? Did Jalen Hurts, who led all quarterbacks in rushing yards, take all of Sanders’ thunder? Or did the fact that the offense took off when he was out injured help to create a narrative that Sanders was simply a flashy cog in a machine masterminded by offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland?

Either way, after averaging an identical 5.5 yards per attempt as Jonathan Taylor in 2021, it’s time for Miles Sanders to finally silence the doubters and prove to the league – and the Philadelphia Eagles- that he’s a top-flight running back in this, his contract year.

The Philadelphia Eagles could be the beneficiaries of a motivated Miles Sanders.

It’s hard to find too many holes in Miles Sanders’ game. He’s got good size, great speed, and elite agility that allows him to stop on a dime and burst forward while his defender lays on the floor like Tyronn Lue after an Allen Iverson crossover.

Could Sanders benefit from being a tad more decisive? You bet. How about working on his pass protection? That would be valuable too, but whether in the run, screen, or vertical passing game, you’ll seldom find a running back in any football league who is more of a home run threat than Sanders.

Really, it’s no wonder both Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy have complemented the PSU product for his offensive abilities; he’s the Philadelphia Eagles’ next great scat back.

While Sanders doesn’t fall into the “traditional” running back mold that Nick Sirianni and his mentor, Frank Reich, found success with in Indianapolis, as he isn’t a big, bruising power back who dominates between the tackles like LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi, Marlon Mack, and Jonathan Taylor, the Eagles’ now-second year head coach has shown a selfless willingness to compromise the tenants of his offensive scheme to maximize the talent on his roster.

Even if the Eagles want to run the ball a few hundred times between the tackles – hopefully with Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell, and either Jordan Howard or Kennedy Brooks – that should leave plenty of attempts for Sanders to operate on outside zones, screen passes, and even the occasional wheel route or slant out of the slot.

Even after loading up on talented new offensive players, Sanders is still one of the Eagles’ most dynamic offensive playmakers, and it’s Sirianni’s job to get the most out of that potential. He’s averaged at least two yards after contract in each of his three professional seasons, has 50 career broken tackles in only 40 games, and dropped just one pass thrown his way in 2021, a mark that is very good considering he was targeted 34 times.

When Howie Roseman opted not to sign Miles Sanders to an extension in 2021, it sent a pretty clear message to the player, his representatives, and the rest of the league – the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t quite ready to commit to the Penn State product just yet. Assuming health, that gives Sanders one summer, a few preseason games, and at least 17 contests to prove that he’s not only an elite offensive weapon but one of the rare running backs worth signing to a contract extension in 2022. Fortunately, between being paired up with one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL and having a coach who found a ton of success running the ball in 2021, he should have every opportunity to do just that.