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The conversation for best backs in the NFL better start including Miles Sanders’ name.
The Eagles feature back declared himself “100-percent, ready to go” for Sunday’s showdown against Los Angeles. That means no limitations for his injured hamstring, open up the whole playbook and “just let it loose.” Sanders is out to earn some respect and work toward his preseason goal of winning NFL MVP honors.
“Honestly, personally, my main goal is just to get respect,” Sanders told reporters on Friday. “I want to be noticed as one of those top backs because I am, and I believe I will be. And that just comes with me just grinding every day, just staying to myself and being humble, just working hard every day and I know all that stuff will pay off and Sunday just let it loose.”
It’s always team first, though. Sanders prefaced the above comments by saying the main thing was to chalk up a “lot of W’s on the left side of our record.” The 23-year speedster also believes he can be a huge asset in pass protection, an area where Boston Scott and Corey Clement struggled in Week 1. Sanders credited the coaching staff at Penn State for teaching him the importance of blocking well.
“It’s a big part of my game,” Sanders said of pass protection. “I can’t play unless I protect 11 so my job is just to be dialed in, locked in with the offensive line, keep that pocket as solid as possible.”
With Lane Johnson back at right tackle, plus Nate Herbig settling in after a full week at right guard, the Eagles’ offense should be running on all cylinders. Sanders hopes to add a new dimension, a key to ignition.
“I’m extremely excited and I think everybody else on the team can say that to,” Sanders said. “Just trying to bring that energy this week, different spark to the offense. Doing whatever I can to help get us a W this week.”
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Sanders to Honor Antwon Rose on Sunday
The Pittsburgh native will wear the name of Antwon Rose on the back of his midnight green helmet in Week 2. Sanders said he knew the slain teenager personally and the two shared the same hallways at Woodland Hills High School.
Rose, of course, was killed by police in 2018 while fleeing a traffic stop in East Pittsburgh. The 17-year-old was unarmed and shot in the back.
“I really don’t care what people think, honestly,” Sanders said. “I knew him personally. We went to the same high school, shared the same hallway as a kid. I actually know more to the story than people know. It looks bad the way it looks. They don’t tell the whole story, but he was still an unarmed black man that got shot in the back by a police officer. He was nowhere near dangerous to that police officer and that’s why it’s important for me to just represent that and for his family.”
Rose’s killing was ruled a homicide but a jury cleared the former white police officer of any wrongdoing in March 2019. Protestors swarmed the courthouse after the verdict and the case has received renewed interest in light of current racial tensions. Several Steelers players honored Rose’s memory by putting his name on their helmets this past week.
Sanders dedicated his cleats to Rose last year as part of the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign while posting a new photo on Instagram of what his helmet will look like on Sunday. The comments section got a little rough.
“I really don’t care what people think about the situation,” Sanders said. “I truly know him as a person and his family and it’s one of those situations where he was in a bad situation.”
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