Miles Sanders is going to be sidelined for the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions due to an ankle and foot injury. How many other games Sanders will miss remains to be seen as head coach Nick Sirianni announced Sanders has not been placed on injured reserve despite reports Philadelphia would place their top running back on the list — which would put Sanders out a minimum of three games.
While the Eagles won’t have Sanders on Sunday, Sirianni will have to find a way to replace his production — even if his 12.5 touches per game are fewer than the 16 he received last year. Sanders is third in the NFL in yards per touch since he entered the league (2019) behind Austin Ekeler and Christian McCaffrey, showcasing how valuable he can be when given the opportunity.
The Eagles do have internal options to replace Sanders while he’s injured, as Sirianni may have to take a running back-by-committee approach.
Boston Scott
Scott has been the forgotten man in the Eagles’ running back group the whole season, logging just four offensive snaps in six games before Sanders was injured. Sirianni had no choice but to use Scott on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, as Scott had seven carries for 24 yards and a touchdown with one catch for five yards.
The Eagles won’t commit to a running back-by-committee yet, but Scott has shown flashes of big plays when he gets the opportunity. Philadelphia would we wise to use him as an asset in the passing game.
Kenneth Gainwell
Sirianni has been featuring Gainwell in his offense since the opening week of the season, using him as the complimentary back to Sanders. Gainwell has averaged 6.4 touches per game, ranking second among all rookie running backs in receiving yards (164). He’s averaging 4.6 yards per carry and has three total touchdowns.
Once Sanders went down against the Raiders, Gainwell earned the majority of the snaps at running back (35). Gainwell finished with five carries for 20 yards and four catches for 41 yards and a touchdown, averaging 6.78 yards per touch.
Sirianni will give the fifth-round rookie the biggest opportunity to see if he’s the No. 1 running back, but Gainwell’s strength is a change-of-pace back that can create explosive plays in the offense. Keeping Gainwell in his current role may be the best move, but he will be getting more snaps over the next few games.
Jordan Howard
Howard has been on the Eagles’ practice squad all season, but will be elevated for Sunday’s game. A two-time 1,000-yard back that has 3,955 yards and 34 rushing touchdowns in his career, the 26-year-old Howard is expected to be used in short-yardage situations. Gainwell and Scott aren’t exactly the biggest backs, so Howard could see some extra carries to move the chains and wear down a defensive line.
“I just see a guy that comes to work every day and does his job every day and prepares our defense,” Sirianni said Friday. “The last month or so he’s been preparing our defense to get ready to play and working on his craft as a running back.
“And that’s what pros do. They come to work every day and they do what’s required of them and even more, because he’s continuing to work even more out there. They’re ready when their number is called.”
Howard was working with the first-team offense this week, so some carries may be coming his way.
