In the Midst of a Career Year

Dec 13, 2022

Record Setting Day

Miles Sanders is currently in a prove it contract year. In a season where he needed to step up his play, Sanders has become the first Eagles 1,000 yard rusher since LeSean McCoy in 2014. Behind a dominant offensive line Sanders has had a career season. Whether or not the Eagles re-sign him in the off-season, he has been great out of the backfield for the Eagles this year.

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The Eagles bombarded the Giants in the first half on Sunday. As they have all year Philadelphia dominated the second quarter. The offense often has started games attacking through the air and then grinding out the second half on the ground. Sanders was able to gash the Giants defense all afternoon, especially in the second half.

Even with backups getting multiple fourth quarter drives, Sanders finished with 144 rushing yards. Miles set his season high on his last carry of the day with a 40 yard touchdown run. Sanders burst through a hole and was gone, scoring his longest touchdown of the season. It was only a matter of time before he broke a long one.

Earlier in the season, Sanders hesitated to cut hard and hit a hole. He often looked to bounce to the outside to use his speed. As the season has progressed, so has Sanders. Two of the last three weeks he has rushed over 140 yards. Now, he is making one cut and hitting a hole hard. The offensive line creates so much space it’s crucial to gain yards on first down. Instead of attempting to bounce out a run and losing yards, Sanders is taking the medium to short gains. This is leading to longer runs later in the game.

Among the League Leaders

Miles Sanders is also among the league leaders in multiple categories. With how good of a year he is having, you can only wonder what his numbers would look like if Hurts didn’t contribute so much to the run game.

Sanders is tied for third in the league with 11 rushing touchdowns.

1. Jamaal Williams – 14
2. Nick Chubb – 12
3. Derrick Henry – 11
4. Josh Jacobs – 11
5. Miles Sanders – 11
6. Jalen Hurts – 10

He is also among the league leaders in rushing yards. At this point in the season, he sits fifth in the league in rushing yards.

1. Josh Jacobs – 1,402
2. Derrick Henry – 1,199
3. Nick Chubb – 1,153
4. Saquon Barkley – 1,083
5. Miles Sanders – 1,068

Sanders has the seventh most rushing attempts in the league at 204 carries. Of those 204 carries, he hasn’t fumbled. He has protected the ball superbly all year. You can find countless examples on Sunday and throughout the season of him hitting a hole and then putting two hands on the ball as he runs out of space. Any time there is any danger of being tackled, Sanders protects the ball. In all likelihood he will fumble at some point, but hopefully he’ll be able to bounce right back since he has protected the ball so well all season.

The Eagles have the second most rushing yards in the league. As the season progresses they will run the ball more and more. This offensive line will wear out teams later in the season and Sanders still has a few big games ahead of him. Hopefully, his great year can continue as we march toward the playoffs. Regardless of his future, it has been nice to see a resurgence from the Eagles running back. Look for Miles Sanders to stay among the league leaders in all rushing categories as the season progresses.

In the Midst of a Career Year

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