Jalyn Smoot
Last season did not go according to plan for the Eagles offense- especially the ground game. A major component of HC Doug Pederson’s offensive scheme, the running game fell flat in 2018, recording just 1570 rushing yards. The putrid amount not only registered as the fifth-fewest in the entire NFL but was nearly a 600-yard drop-off from the Super Bowl campaign the season prior.
Fortunately for the Eagles, Doug Pederson proved once again why his
name belongs amongst the rest of the current head coaching elite and lead
the Eagles to an improbable playoff berth- making them the only team to
rank in the bottom twelve in rushing and still make the playoffs in 2018.
While making the playoffs is certainly one of the team’s goals again
this season, ranking near the bottom of the league in rushing is not on the
agenda in Philly. To bolster their underwhelming running back committee of
2018, Eagles GM Howie Roseman traded for former Pro Bowler Jordan
Howard and drafted stud prospect Miles Sanders at the top of the second
round.
Howard, a 2016 fifth-round pick out of Indiana, was acquired from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a fifth-rounder in late March. Obviously a huge win for the Eagles, the move is still a bit difficult to understand from the Bears perspective. Trading with the Eagles is a risky enough proposition as-is for an opposing club, but shipping a player as talented as Howard to a Super Bowl-caliber team within the same conference is an extremely puzzling move for Chicago.
Since entering the league three seasons ago, Howard has been
nothing short of productive during his time with Chicago. The workhorse
back amassed 3370 rushing yards and 24 TDs on 778 carries- ranking third
in the NFL in rushing yards since his debut.
Although his total numbers are a bit eye-opening, those skeptical of
his 2019 prospects often point out his precipitous drop in production each
year he has been in the league:
|
Year
|
Age
|
G
|
GS
|
Rush
|
Yards
|
TD
|
Y/A
|
Y/G
|
A/G
|
|
2016
|
22
|
16
|
13
|
252
|
1313
|
6
|
5.2
|
87.5
|
16.8
|
|
2017
|
23
|
16
|
16
|
276
|
1112
|
9
|
4.1
|
70.1
|
17.3
|
|
2018
|
24
|
16
|
15
|
250
|
935
|
9
|
3.7
|
58.4
|
15.6
|
As evidenced by the graphic, Howard has indeed experienced a dip in
production each year since entering the league, but he has also experienced
a new, bizarre set of circumstances each year since being drafted 150th
overall.
In his rookie campaign, Howard was the sole bright spot in what went
on to be a dreadful year for the Bears. After a 6-10 campaign in 2015, the
The Bears regressed severely in year two under John Fox and sludged their way to a horrid 3-13 finish in 2016. Due to a plethora of injuries and inefficiency at quarterback, the Bears had to roll out an underwhelming trio of Jay Cutler, Matt Barkley, and Brian Hoyer that year. As one might expect from a team rostering such a porous group, the offense wasn’t very electric.
Despite being in such a poor situation, however, Howard was able to
successfully put the league on notice in his rookie season. The dynamic
bruiser rushed for over 1300 yards and notched his first Pro Bowl selection.
Howard set the league ablaze all year, routinely breaking and avoiding
would-be tacklers en route to additional yardage.
Things wouldn’t come so easy in his sophomore campaign, though.
After the Bears seemingly reached for Trubisky at No.2 overall in the 2017
draft, the former UNC quarterback didn’t exactly prove the doubters wrong.
In an extremely conservative, unproductive John Fox offense, Trubisky
averaged less than 200 yards through the air across 12 starts in another
losing season in Chicago.
The atrocious passing game allowed opposing defenses to zero-in on
and minimize the Bears ground game, particularly Jordan Howard. In fact,
43% of Howard’s carries came with 8+ defenders in the box in 2017- the
fourth-highest clip in the league among those with at least 150 carries,
according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Still, Howard registered another impressive year, notching his second
1k-yard rushing season in as many years. Through two years surrounded by
mediocrity, Howard proved to be a reliable, talented back capable of
producing in less than ideal circumstances.
It's no wonder then that many expected him to explode once again in
Year 3 after the Bears canned Fox and his outdated offense in favor of the
forward-thinking offensive-minded Matt Nagy.
With Trubisky expected to take a huge step forward, Howard would seemingly face less loaded box looks, thus creating the opportunity for a big year. Unfortunately for Howard, another year brought another odd set of circumstances. After being the unquestioned bell cow for the Bears his first two seasons, Chicago drafted RB Tarik Cohen to compliment him in the backfield and form a 1-2 punch in the new-look Nagy offense.
Continued on the page below.
Howard did his part, rushing for nearly 1000-yards for the third
straight year, but his efficiency metrics left a lot to be desired. His 3.7 YPC
paled in comparison to the 4.5 mark set by backfield mate Tarik Cohen.
Howard also never got much traction in Nagy’s passing game, often being
pulled off the field in favor of Cohen.
Howard was virtually phased out of the offense and soon, off the
roster entirely. Now, as a member of the Eagles, Howard will likely be a part
of another 1-2 punch, although he’s primed to do a lot more damage this
time around.
Paired in the backfield with the supremely talented 2019
second-rounder Miles Sanders, the Eagles seem prepared to return to the
top of the rushing charts after spending a year in the cellar. Sanders, who
famously backed up Saquon Barkley at Penn State, exploded on the
collegiate scene last season after the former was drafted to the Giants.
The Pittsburgh native rushed for over 1200 yards and 9 TDs in his first and lone season as the lead back at Penn State. Unlike Howard, who is a much more physical runner known for breaking tackles, Sanders offers the best of both worlds, his skillset possessing a blend of elusiveness and toughness. Last season, Sanders ranked in the top ten among all draft-eligible backs in forced missed tackles (47) and yards after contact (845), according to Pro Football Focus.
Partnered with Howard in Philly, the two should form quite the
explosive tandem behind Wentz, especially since they perform their best in
the Eagles’ primary run concept- inside zone runs.
Since 2016, no running back has registered more carries on inside
zone runs than Jordan Howard (317), and his efficiency graded out as the
8th best out of 100, according to PFF. Additionally, Sanders averaged 3.96
yards
after contact per carry on inside zone rushes last season, proving he’s
more than capable of handling the physicality of maneuvering through the
trenches for tough yardage.
In Philly, not only will Howard and Sanders be put in an excellent
situation schematically by Doug Pederson, but they will get to do their
damage behind arguably the best offensive line in football. Philly is
absolutely loaded across the o-line, featuring former Pro Bowlers at every
single position. Behind a line that could carry just about any serviceable
back to a solid season, having Howard and Sanders taking the bulk of carries
is almost too good to be true.
Last season, one of every ten of Howard’s carries went to RG/RT. He
averaged 6.1 YPC and recorded six runs of 10+ yards. Now, he’ll be
unleashed behind perennial Pro Bowlers Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson
when dashing to the right. As for Sanders, the offensive line should provide
an even bigger improvement, as he’s certainly never run behind a line as
talented at the high school or collegiate level.
Ever since Sanders was drafted back in April, there has been a ton of
talk about who should receive the lion’s share of carries between him and
Howard. Frankly, I think we may be in store for more of a 50/50 split than
someone taking over as the bell cow- for several reasons.
For starters, Doug Pederson has always like to mix-and-match in the backfield, implementing a running back by committee everywhere he goes. Additionally, Pederson has always placed a huge emphasis on the time of possession battle and the easiest way to win that matchup is a successful run game. There will be plenty of carries to go around this season as RB coach Duce Staley will try to keep everyone fresh, especially once the team gels and find themselves locked in games with a sizable lead, and it could result in both Howard and Sanders registering monster campaigns in their Eagles debut seasons.
Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
