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LeSean McCoy was visibly winded and gassed out in the game last Monday night. Part of the reason for this is due to the 31 touches he got, much more than he is used to. Chip Kelly admitted that he could have done a better job of rotating his three talented running backs.
The Philadelphia Eagles boast great running back depth. That was on full display last season when Bryce Brown took the league by storm in having back to back monster games to start off his career, including getting close to 200 rushing yards in his debut as a starting tail back when McCoy went down. The Eagles have to utilize Brown in better fashion.
He is as talented as they come at the running back position, as he can run with speed and power. His fresh legs would be welcomed late in the game, trying to run clock when both McCoy and the opposing defense is gassed out. Chris Polk, the Eagles’ third running back and short yardage specialist, saw a grand total of zero carries in the game.
This needs to change. McCoy can’t last a prolonged season touching the ball that many times. It will fatigue him as the season goes on and expose him to potential injury. The Eagles have rare depth at the position. In future weeks, as much as it may pain myself and Eagles fans to see “Shady” come off the field, it is what’s best for the team in the long run.
The running game has become a staple of the Eagles’ offense. Boy, it’s been a long time since I could say that. It is time now to unveil the full running game. When the Eagles three-headed monster gets going, defenses won’t know what hit them until that clock hits zero.
