Howard Smith-US Presswire
Through the first two weeks of the 2012 NFL season, it looks like Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid is giving RB LeSean McCoy the respect and confidence that he truly deserves.
In Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns McCoy received a total of 26 touches (20 rushes, 6 receptions) during the course of the game, followed by 27 total touches (25 rushes, 2 receptions) against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2.
Although McCoy has not tallied the same yardage total to this point as he did last season, the amount of work he is getting in this explosive Eagles offense is very promising. And with the game-breaking speed McCoy has displayed over his first three NFL seasons, we all know it won’t be long before his numbers start to sky-rocket.
One thing that is always in McCoy’s favor is the ever-threatening presence of Michael Vick along side him in the Eagles’ backfield.
When the Eagles run that beautiful shotgun read-option attack, whether the ball is handed to McCoy, or Vick takes it himself, somebody is turning on the jets and taking off.
Just the added dimension of having a running threat at QB as opposed to a statue in the pocket, like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, causes the defense to think for that one extra moment about who is getting the ball. And that one split-second is all it takes for a RB like McCoy or a QB like Vick to break into the secondary and start smelling end-zone.
Reid and the Eagles have been notorious over the past decade for their tendency to pass the ball far too often, while letting legitimate running threats go under-utilized in the backfield (i.e. Brian Westbrook).
It is certainly a positive trend that McCoy is seeing the amount of carries that he is this early in the season, while also remaining a viable threat in the passing game as well.
Not to say that Vick isn’t receiving a vast amount of opportunities throwing the ball, with 88 pass attempts and 688 yards passing through two games, but the balanced attack is something that will prove beneficial for the Eagles.
There is no doubt in my mind that as the weeks come and go this NFL season and McCoy continues to see those 20-25 carries a game, the young stud will be off to the races, putting up the consistent 100+ yard, multiple touchdown performances that we’ve all grown to know and love.
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