Eagles Hope McCoy's Rushing Woes Cured By Rams Defense
By Kevin McGuire
Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy said before the season started he wanted to rush for 2,000 yards. If he is to still meet that rare football rushing total, then he is in for quite the monster stretch the rest of the way.
McCoy rushed for just 17 yards on Sunday in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers, which followed just 22 rushing yards at home against Washington the previous week. McCoy has yet to reach 80 rushing yards in a game through the first quarter of the season, leaving him just 12 games to rush for 1,802 yards to reach a career high 2,000-yard season.
"I think LeSean's fine and he's running the ball well,” Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said Tuesday, according to the team's official website. It's just, you know, I think at some point here it will all come together."
There are some identifiable reasons for McCoy’s lack of production of course. The offensive line has been battered all year, and one starter was serving a four-game suspension. Lane Johnson has been cleared to play after serving his suspension for performance enhancing drugs to start the season, so that should help to some extent on the line.
The Eagles need McCoy to be the guy that drives the offense. As much as quarterback Nick Foles is the conductor under center, McCoy is the engine that runs the offense. Opposing defenses game plan to slow own McCoy first, and then focus on what can be done about Foles. The lack of DeSean Jackson opening up the field 10, 20 and 30 yards from the line of scrimmage may be a hindrance as well. Some forward-thinking fans may have seen this coming, which makes any potential lack of foresight from the Eagles management and head coach Chip Kelly a little more frustrating.
Perhaps this weekend’s home game against the St. Louis Rams will offer the medicine for McCoy’s rushing woes. The Rams are ranked 30th in the NFL against the run, allowing an average of 155.0 yards per game through the first few games of the season. Out of 32 NFL teams, the Rams are one of seven teams allowing an average of at least five yards per rush attempt this season. They once again rank 30th in opponent rushing average per play (allowing 5.1 rushing yards per attempt).
“I just think we need to execute better,” Shurmur said. “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."
It is far from too late for the Eagles to find a way to get McCoy running effectively. Having Johnson back on the offensive line will be helpful, but the line is still a tad beaten up at the moment. McCoy is still one of the best running backs in the league. He just needs some room to work to his full potential.
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Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.