With the highly publicized head-coaching change with these Philadelphia Eagles, many have jumped to the conclusion that the hiring of Nick Sirianni was done with the sole purpose of appeasing Carson Wentz. While the highly-criticized franchise quarterback and now second-year understudy (Jalen Hurts) could indeed benefit from this hire, the passing attack isn’t the only aspect of the Eagles’ offense that could thrive. Their rushing attack could benefit just as much, if not more so.
Miles Sanders averaged 5.3 yards per rush in 2020. That’s good enough for fourth among running backs with at least 150 carries. For reference, the three backs he trailed were Nick Chubb, Derrick Henry, and Aaron Jones. Sanders’ production was all the more frustrating since it seemed like Doug Pederson and company would abandon the running game when they needed it most. Sanders only had 164 carries on the season but managed to gain 867 yards behind a revolving door of offensive linemen.
Let’s talk about this Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff.
Sirianni may not have been the primary play-caller as the offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, but he did have some say in the scheme under Frank Reich, which featured a rushing game that came on strong towards the end of the 2020 season. That spearheaded a Wild Card berth for the Colts.
In terms of the new Eagles offensive coordinator, Shane Steichen, he was the play-caller in 2020 for the Los Angeles Chargers. They were a team that not only ran the ball but probably did so too often late in games. The Eagles’ problem in 2020 wasn’t that they couldn’t run the ball, it was that they wouldn’t. This new young staff should change that.
Here’s an update on that Philadelphia Eagles offensive line.
As far as the offensive line goes, we’ve all mentioned that it was a revolving door (and not a very sturdy one) a time or two. That should also change in 2021.
Lane Johnson was often injured in 2020, and when he was on the field, he was never one-hundred percent. A healthy Johnson returning is massive as the Eagles have proven to be a completely different team when he is on the field.
Also, on that same side of the line, the Eagles should be blessed with the return of Brandon Brooks. Brooks hasn’t played since the 2019 season finale, so it’s easy to forget just how good he is, but when healthy, a very strong argument could be made that Brooks is the best guard in all of football.
It’s crucial that the Eagles get their rushing attack back on track in 2021. During the Eagles’ magical 2017-2018 Super Bowl season, they were third in the NFL in that category. Since then, they never really found a legitimate replacement for LeGarrette Blount, a power back so to speak, so there’s an offseason move that may need to be made.
As the Eagles running game goes, Carson Wentz and/or Jalen Hurts will also go. Ultimately, the offensive success will follow, just as it did in 2017. Look at it this way, if the Eagles are going to get their running game, and ultimately their team, back on track, then this staff might be the staff that can do something about it.