Can Kenneth Gainwell Rise To The Occasion?
Kenny Gainwell has had an intriguing rookie season with the Eagles. The 5th round pick out of Memphis has shown his versatility and athleticism on multiple occasions throughout the year. Gainwell’s speed was put on display right out of the gates.
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Through the first few games of the year, we saw a combination of him and Miles Sanders, which proved to be mostly ineffective. The lack of production was mostly because Nick Sirianni’s early season struggles calling offensive plays.
After their loss against the Raiders (the key turning point in the year), a game in which Miles Sanders went down with injury, Sirianni turned to Gainwell for most of the running-back responsibilities down the stretch. He did score in the game, but unfortunately he fumbled in a key spot, a big no-no for rookie players in general trying to establish themselves in an offense.
Throughout the next three games veterans Jordan Howard and Boston Scott took full advantage of their opportunities with Sanders out and the Eagles began to establish their dominance in the running game. As the Eagles rushing attack began to pick up steam, Gainwell saw his playing time slowly start to diminish, and when Sanders was set to return in Week 11, Gainwell was deemed a healthy scratch for the first time in his young career.
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This small setback didn’t hold Gainwell back for long, and after Jordan Howard suffered a knee sprain against the Saints, Gainwell was inserted back into the lineup with a chance to make an impact. In a Week 13 matchup with the Jets, Gainwell had his best game as a pro, rushing for 54 yards on 12 attempts, a rushing touchdown, and 5 catches on 5 targets.
Up to this point, Gainwell has rushed for 209 yards on 55 carries and 4 touchdowns, along with 29 receptions for 244 yards and a receiving touchdown. While those stats don’t necessarily pop off the page, Gainwell has been fairly productive in his limited opportunities.
Gainwell hasn’t seen the field much in the last two weeks, with Miles Sanders starting to his stride against the Jets and Washington, posting back to back 100+ yard rushing games for the first time in his career.
But unfortunately, in last week’s game against the Giants, Miles Sanders once again went down due to injury, this time a broken hand which has already ruled him out for this week’s game against Washington and possibly longer.
Jordan Howard also suffered another injury, a stinger which has cast doubt on his availability for Week 17 in Washington.
These 2 injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time for an 8-7 Eagles team that is currently rolling and in possession of the 7th seed in the NFC Playoffs. But with injuries in the NFL comes opportunity.
With Howard possibly being out for Week 17, it would be up to Boston Scott and Kenny Gainwell to handle the majority of the workload against Washington.
While Boston Scott will most likely still receive primary ball carrying duties, there’s no doubt the Eagles will need Kenneth Gainwell over the next 2 weeks. With an offense that has become extremely run heavy, his receiving talent becomes a much more valuable weapon on play-actions and pass formations.
I think Gainwell is more than ready for this opportunity. Even as a rookie, he’s shown how explosive he can be in space. It’ll be up to Nick Sirianni and how he uses him in the offense.
With questions looming about Miles Sanders’ future with the team, and the rest of the running back room not exactly being in the prime of their careers, Gainwell has a real chance to prove why he should be a part of the long term plan at running back for the Eagles. There’s no better place to prove that than in the middle of a crucial set of games that could have the Eagles back into the postseason earlier than expected.
Featured Image: (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
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Categorized:Eagles