Miles Sanders is the One Making Noise Now
Miles Sanders remembers a lot of yelling when he arrived in town after the Eagles made him the 53rd overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Yelling from line coach Jeff Stoutland. Yelling from then-running backs coach Duce Staley. Maybe not so much yelling as loud coaching.
At least, current RB coach Jemal Singleton is a bit more cerebral.
“My first interaction with Coach Stout was when I got drafted,” Sanders told reporters at his locker after Thursday’s practice. “The day after, they flew me in to do a press conference. I saw him in the hallway, and the first thing he says – he’s yelling, it’s just his normal voice – and he’s like, ‘Do you know that we have over 50 protections that you need to know?’
“And I’m like, ‘All right.’ That’s the type of coach he is. He just keeps you on your toes. He wants you to be as good as you can be.”
Sanders said it took him the entire training camp to learn them all, but the Eagles only do certain protections with certain game plans.
“So, it wasn’t like I had to know all 50 at the beginning of camp,” he said.
Right now, it is Sanders doing a bit of yelling in his own way, making plenty of noise with the kind of season so many have waited for since he arrived and had a promising rookie season.
He needs 100 yards to post his first 1,000-yard season, still the benchmark for today’s running backs even though the season runs 17 games.
He is one of five RBs that have at least 900 yards. The others: Josh Jacobs (1,159), Derrick Henry (1,048), Nick Chubb (1,039), and Saquon Barkley (992).
Sanders also has eight rushing touchdowns, which is a career-high and sixth-most in the league.
“I don’t really compare myself because I know our offense’s game plan is different than their game plan,” he said. “I can’t sit there and dwell on comparing myself to these other running backs. I do believe that I’m the best, but I don’t sit there and worry about anybody else at this point.”
The thing he is most proud of is his ball security. Sanders hasn’t fumbled yet this season.
He knocked on wood when asked about that on Thursday.
“I don’t want to sit here and talk about it,” he said. “…I’m proud of myself for that, but the season is not over. Just trying to keep it going.”
In last week’s 40-33 win over the Packers, he picked up a career-high 143 yards on the ground, which may have been overshadowed a bit because that number didn’t even lead the team thanks to Jalen Hurts’ incredible 157 yards.
“It’s a long time coming, man,” said Sanders. “It’s my fourth year in the league and my first time getting 1,000. It will mean a lot. Just gotta get there first. I know I’m only 100 yards away, but we gotta get there first.”
Sunday’s opponent, the Tennessee Titans (1 p.m./FOX), won’t make it that easy.
They have a very stout defensive line and it will be strength on strength with that D-line going against the Eagles' offensive line, the best in the NFL.
Still, the Titans have the league’s third-best run defense, led by last year’s Pro Bowl defensive tackle and a former first-round draft pick, Jeffery Simmons. Conversely, they have one of the worst pass defenses, checking in at No. 31.
“Big boys,” said Sanders about the Titans’ defensive front, “but it’s the NFL, everyone is pretty tough. They’re a real downhill defense, so we’re ready for them.”
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
