LeSean McCoy has a lot of work to do if he wants to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark. Credit: Getty Images
LeSean McCoy and the Eagles led the NFL in rushing last year with the same five offensive linemen starting all 16 games.
This year’s line has been injury prone, inconsistent and difficult for LeSean McCoy to maneuver through.
The running back, known for his ankle-breaking cutbacks, is running more east-to-west than he is north-to-south. And the main reason for that is easy to see — the running lanes aren’t there.
Lane Johnson, last year’s first round pick, is slated to return after serving a four game suspension. McCoy couldn’t be happier to have his tackle back to help relieve some of the pressure on the makeshift offensive line.
“I got my boy Lane back,” McCoy said. “We’ll move Todd [Herremens] back to his usual position. We’ll find out. Hopefully it works out. That definitely helps. I got used to those guys and I know how well they block. Last year, I had the whole entire line healthy for 16 games. They did tremendous. Hopefully everything will work out. I don’t know if I can tell you exactly what’s going on. The truth of the matter is, we’re not getting it done.”
Last season the Eagles had 468 yards rushing through four games. This season, that number is 192. The confidence is still there, the Birds just need to get out there and execute on the ground.
“We have to continue to run the ball like we’ve been,” Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. “I think it’s a mixture of things. I think we can, you know, from whether it’s blocking or hitting the hole or whatever. I just think we need to execute better.The good news is we are going to continue to run the football, and so we have got very talented players and we feel good about our ability to get it going.”
