A few times last week, Miles Sanders didn’t just run hard … he ran angry.
While Sanders isn’t exactly known as a punishing running back there were several plays against the Texans where Sanders sought out contact and delivered some devastating shoulders and stiff-arms to the opponent.
The rest of the Eagles certainly took notice.
“I think anytime you bring that mentality of I'm going to run you over at any point, I think it brings a great deal of intensity to our football team,” offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said this week.
“The one he had where he bounced out the corner and stiff armed the guy right on the sidelines, it brought some intensity to our sidelines, and guys feed off those things.”
Sanders, 25, is in the middle of what has already been a career season for him and those kinds of runs really just serve as an exclamation point.
Sanders understands they can provide a spark to his teammates and “hopefully” that’s what happens when he lowers his shoulder.
“Just try to be aggressive in certain situations when I need to be,” Sanders said. “If I feel like I can make one cut and get out of there and hopefully take it the long way, I’ll do that. But if I gotta lower my shoulder and do whatever I have to do to get somebody out of my way or whatever, I’m going to do that. Just trying to be able to do everything.”
Through eight games this season, Sanders has already carried the ball 131 times for 656 yards with 6 rushing touchdowns. He’s on pace to absolutely obliterate his previous career highs in all three categories.
Sanders’ previous career high in carries was 179 as a rookie, his previous high in rushing yards was 867 yards in 2020 and his previous career high in touchdowns came in 2020 with 6.
This year, he’s on pace for 278 carries, 1,394 yards and nearly 13 touchdowns. It’s also noteworthy that Sanders has not fumbled at all this season and he’s a big reason why the Eagles have just three total turnovers through almost half of the season.
Sanders said he takes a lot of pride his his lack of fumbles this season.
“No running back wants to put the ball on the ground,” Sanders said. “That’s probably the main most important thing being a running back is protecting the ball. They gotta have confidence in me holding it and stuff like that. Nothing really changes, my focus, it’s just second-hand.
“Near contact, I clasp hand. When I’m open field I’m a little more free with it. Anytime I get a little bit close to contact, I’m putting two hands on it, just trying to avoid giving the ball away.”
Sanders is one of the players featured in new posters hanging in the NovaCare Complex auditorium promoting ball security. While these posters are new in the auditorium, they have been in other parts of the building all season.
This is a contract year for Sanders so if he’s able to stay healthy and keep on his current pace, he’s going to earn himself a nice deal in the offseason from the Eagles or another team. While Sanders’ receiving numbers have never come near to what he accomplished as a rookie, this is clearly his best NFL season.
And head coach Nick Sirianni couldn’t even pinpoint one area that’s really stood out.
“I just think he's running hard. I think he's seeing the field well. He's protecting the football. I think he's blocking well. I just think his pass protection is even greatly improved from last year,” Sirianni said.
“So just playing good all-around football. I don't think there is any particular thing. I really believe that all parts of his game have continued to improve.”
It’s not like Sanders was bad last season but he has missed nine games in the last two years because of injury. And for whatever reason, he failed to get into the end zone at all in 2021. He’s already up to six touchdowns in eight games in 2022.
“Yeah, I got six more than I had last year,” Sanders said.
And because of that, these mean more too.
“Little bit, yeah,” he said. “The year that I had last year was disappointing for me personally. But coming out here and starting strong and doing stuff for the team to help us win, it means a lot more to me than just personal goals.”
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The Link LonkNovember 11, 2022 at 12:40AM
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Eagles’ Miles Sanders running hard, protecting football in career season - NBC Sports
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