Miles Sanders has a message for Eagles fans:
“Better days are coming. I promise you.”
The horribly underutilized Sanders, one of the Eagles’ few exciting young players, spoke passionately Sunday night about the future after the Eagles were eliminated from postseason contention in Dallas.
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SIGN UP HERE This is the first time Sanders has ever experienced anything like this.
His four years at Woodland Hills in Pittsburgh, the Wolverines went 10-3, 10-3, 8-3 and 11-1. His three years in State College, Penn State went 11-3, 11-2 and 9-4. His rookie year in the NFL, the Eagles went 9-7.
So 4-10-1 is hard to take.
“Disappointing,” he said. “Super disappointed. We work our asses off all week every week, every day. I believe that we’re a great football team, we just have to play smarter and that’s all around - pre-snap penalties, situational penalties, everything. But I do believe this is a great team and I do believe better days are coming. But I’m very disappointed right now.
NFL
“This city is so passionate about this game and we’re passionate too, (and) we owe it to the fans, and I promise you better days are coming. I promise you.”
With one game left, Sanders has 867 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 12 games.
Despite missing three games, he ranks 16th in the NFL in rushing yards and his 5.4 average is tied for second-highest in the NFL among running backs, behind only Nick Chubb’s 5.6.
Still, Sanders is averaging only 13.7 carries per game and on Sunday, once again, Doug Pederson forgot about him after the first drive.
Sanders had eight carries in the first quarter against Dallas and just seven the rest of the game, even though the score didn’t get out of hand until the fourth quarter.
Watch how Sanders’ workload goes down as the games go on and Pederson forgets about him:
- 1st quarter – 57 carries
- 2nd quarter – 44 carries
- 3rd quarter – 35 carries
- 4th quarter – 26 carries
It’s a huge problem, but Sanders is not the kind to complain.
“Honestly, y’all know how I am,” he said. “I don’t question the play calling. I trust the play calling. I trust the coaches. Whatever is called I go out there and give 110 percent. That’s above my level right now so whatever’s called I’m going to go out there and do my job.
The thing is, if he were allowed to do his job a little bit more often - say 20 times a game - the Eagles might not be in this position in the first place.
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