The Philadelphia Eagles are dealing with a number of key injuries on offense heading into a critical matchup with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12.
The Eagles have been dealt some rather crucial blows to their backfield during their recent two-game stretch after losing Darren Sproles for the rest of the 2019 NFL season with a torn hip flexor. Meanwhile, running back Jordan Howard still has yet to be cleared for contact while recovering from a shoulder injury and his lack of participation indicates that he may have to miss a second straight game.
Philadelphia has since done what they can to shore up some depth in the backfield with the addition of a familiar face in Jay Ajayi, however, he is still getting acquainted with the offense. This means running back Miles Sanders could still be poised to take on workhorse duties against Seattle.
Sanders has managed etched out an integral role for himself after being taken in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has largely served as a complementary option to Howard in the run game, his versatile skill set suggests he is well-suited to temporarily serve as a central force in the offense while Howard continues to recover.
The rookie is in the midst of a promising year with 688 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. More importantly, he has managed to make the most out of his limited opportunities thus far with 4.3 yards per carry while hauling in 24 of his 31 targets out of the backfield.
Although he struggled to make the most of Howard's absence in Week 11, that could be attributed to the fact that the offense struggled to get anything going against the formidable Patriots defense while splitting carries with running back Boston Scott. Fortunately, they have a much more favorable matchup this time around against a Seahawks defense that is currently giving up the ninth-most total yards per game (372.9).
Of course, Philadelphia may still have their work cut out trying to get back on track given the number of injuries they are currently dealing with. Aside from Howard, right tackle Lane Johnson is still in concussion protocol and wide receiver Alshon Jefferey is still dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out versus New England.
Regardless, this could be all the more reason for the Eagles to put an emphasis on getting the run game going through Miles Sanders. Not only will it help keep the offense more balanced but it could also prevent the Seahawks from finding their rhythm on offense by keeping quarterback Russell Wilson off the field.
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