3 reasons criticism for Eagles’ Miles Sanders is too harsh

3. The Eagles can easily find a way to utilize Miles Sanders, Howard, and Scott.

Let’s make long stories short. The Eagles should absolutely ride the hot hand. Jordan Howard should start even if Miles Sanders is deemed healthy enough to play, and that’s the case for two reasons.

One is simple. Here’s something you’ve heard several times before. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Over the course of the Eagles’ last three games, they’re averaging over 208 yards per game. They’re converting 54 percent of their third downs, and they’ve racked up 22 runs of ten yards or more.

They did that WITHOUT Miles Sanders. That isn’t to say that they couldn’t have done any of that with Sanders in the lineup, but Howard gives the Eagles the workhorse that they haven’t had since LeGarrette Blount left. Philadelphia has to continue to feed the beast.

The second reason Philly should ride the hot hand is this. No one wants to rush Sanders back and risk further injury. He plays the NFL’s most punishing position. We’ve seen what happens when he’s overworked. Let’s just say that he isn’t what you’d call indestructible.

Still, Nick Sirianni can take a page out of Andy Reid and Doug Pederson’s book. The committee system works.

Andy Reid made it work when he had Duce Staley, Brian Westbrook, and Correll Buckhalter. Don’t tell us Nick Sirianni and Shane Steichen can’t make things work with Howard, Scott, Sanders, and Kenneth Gainwell. It’s not like the Eagles are in a position where they can afford to bench the best players on their team. Calling them loaded or anything close to that would be a huge exaggeration.

Just three seasons into his NFL career, Miles Sanders standing with the team seems to have done a 180-degree turn, but he can still be one of the most productive players in the Eagles offense. Heck, if they’re going to bench anyone, it needs to be Jalen Reagor. Now, that’s who needs to be buried on the depth chart.