Getty Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during a game last season.
Eagles second-year superstar running back Miles Sanders grew up in the Pittsburgh area dreaming of playing under the bright lights at Heinz Field on Sundays. Well, Sanders will get that opportunity this weekend but he’ll be wearing a midnight green jersey instead of a black-and-yellow one.
The Penn State product has arguably been the most explosive weapon on the Philly offense, one who doesn’t get nearly enough touches — especially at the end of games. Yet Sanders still has 236 yards on 51 carries, for 4.6 yards-per-carry.
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin watched Sanders as a highly-touted high school recruit at Woodland Hills (PA) and walked away impressed. The Super Bowl champion maestro “remembered his name” as a ninth-grader.
“Just to watch a ninth-grader excel to the degree that he did in that football game, I remembered his name that day because I knew that that wouldn’t be the last that I heard of that guy,” Tomlin said of Sanders during a conference call with Philly reporters. “So, I’m not surprised at his maturation and the things that he’s been able to do in his career. Just really impressed by that, and kudos to him.”
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Tomlin on Sanders: ‘All-Situation Running Back’
Tomlin wasn’t done dumping accolades on Sanders with Philly reporters either. On Tuesday, the Steelers head coach told the Pittsburgh media that the 5-foot-11, 211-pounder was the key to the Eagles’ offense and it was imperative they attack him. Sanders’ ability to line up as a dual-threat out of the backfield makes him even more dangerous due to Philly’s injuries at wide receiver.
“He’s developed into a quality all-situation running back, one that runs well inside, one that runs well on the perimeter,” Tomlin told reporters, via Steelers Now. “He’s included in their passing game as well. We have to work to minimize his impact on the game. You know that is always our agenda to neutralize our opponents’ featured runner, but I think it’s doubly important in this circumstance because of the number of people that they’re missing on the perimeter.”
Eagles Ready to Feed Off Emotion of Steelers Fans
The Steelers will be permitting approximately 5,500 fans into Heinz Field on Sunday for their game against their cross-state rivals from Philly. It’s a small number but it’s a start after Gov. Wolf amended his mandate on outdoor public gatherings earlier in the week. It will mark the first time this year the Eagles have played a game with fans in the stands and even though it won’t be a home game for Pederson’s squad, the head coach is excited to hear some noise in the stadium.
“It’s going to be great for both teams, I think,” Pederson told reporters on Wednesday. “As we’ve said, players feed off of that emotion and off of the crowd. Even though it’s a small number, the voices will be heard, and guys are looking forward to doing that and playing in front of a few fans. It’s always good when positive things happen to be able to celebrate in front of fans.”
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