Getty Eagles RB Miles Sanders struggled in his rookie debut
There are a lot of Eagles fans jumping off the bandwagon these days. The players don’t have time for that.
The Eagles have proven time and time again that they are masters at overcoming the odds. No team plays the underdog role better or relishes proving their haters wrong more than them. So as Philly fans continue to write off the Birds — including the legendary EDP445 — one player sent a strong-worded message out.
Eagles starting running back Miles Sanders posted an Instagram story on Tuesday where he said: “Don’t be a fan later, either with us or not, the WHOLE WAY.” The second-year playmaker has been a lone bright spot in 2020, slicing and dicing his way for 190 yards on 38 carries and one touchdown in two games. Sanders amended the above quote by adding: “I love our fans, as a team we are sticking together, we just want you guys to stick with us too All Love!”
After his IG story said, “Don’t be a fan later, either with us or not, the WHOLE WAY,” #Eagles RB Miles Sanders’ story updated with “I love our fans, as a team we are sticking together, we just want you guys to stick with us too All Love!”
📸: @BoobieMilesXXIV IG Story
Sanders rushed 18 times for 95 yards in the infamous tie game against Cincinnati and watched in disbelief as Carson Wentz overthrew him on a would-be touchdown. The second-year back out of Penn State, ever the professional, unnecessarily took the blame for that missed connection after the game.
“I’ll take the blame for it,” Sanders told reporters. “I could have ran on my route faster and maybe I would have got there. But there is a lot of stuff that all of us as a team can look at and just grow from it.”
Carson Wentz is opening a lot of eyes this season, not in a good way
How would you grade Carson’s performance yesterday vs the Bengals? #FlyEaglesFly #Eagles #CarsonWentz #MilesSanders #CINvsPHI #PhiladelphiaEagles
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Eagles Abandoned the Run Game Too Soon
Doug Pederson has been hearing tons of criticism for abandoning the run game too soon last week. Sanders was cooking with gas early, especially in the first quarter when he touched it six times for 41 yards. Keep riding the hot hand, right? Wrong.
The head coach elected to put the game on the arm of his struggling franchise quarterback. Carson Wentz dropped back six times on the first two drives of the second quarter, all ending in three-and-outs and predictable punts. Wentz would go on to throw the ball 47 times while Sanders would carry it just 12 more times for 54 yards in four quarters.
“It’s not frustrating for me at all,” Sanders said of not getting the rock. “Coaches have a game plan and we put all our trust in the coaches. So whatever play is called in the huddle, I’m going to run it.”
Miles Sanders Q1 highlights 👀 @BoobieMilesXXIV
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Not sticking with the run is something former Eagles coach Andy Reid used to get crucified for in Philly. Pederson credited the Bengals’ defense for switching up their “nickel edge pressures” and then blamed the lack of touches on “fatigue setting in” for Sanders. It’s something the running back has alluded to in back-to-back contests. Remember, Sanders missed a good chunk of training camp as he sat out with a hamstring injury.
“It just so happened that in Miles’ case, you go back the week before, and not to make excuses or whatever, but there was a little fatigue that set in,” Pederson said. “Miles alluded to that. He was battling through some things yesterday during the game, and we had to be cautious late in the game.”
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