Miles Sanders Focused on Playoffs and 'Opportunity of Lifetime'

The Eagles RB had a signature season and is looking for a postseason to remember, but not so much what could like ahead with his contract

PHILADELPHIA – Miles Sanders had a signature season, scoring 11 touchdowns with 1,269 yards rushing.

Now comes a chance for the Eagles running back to put his stamp on the postseason, beginning with Saturday night’s divisional playoff game against the New York Giants (8:15 p.m./FOX) at Lincoln Financial Field.

“We know the mission’s not finished,” said Sanders on Thursday. “Regardless of if we’re the one seed or the last seed, it’s not going to be easy. The Giants played a heck of a game last weekend.

“They’re going to come ready to play and expecting to win. It’s win or go home. That’s just the mentality of not looking over anybody. It’s playoff time.”

Yeah, but a signature season followed by a postseason to remember…it may just add another 0 and or another year or two to his next contract. Wherever that is.

Sanders isn’t thinking along those lines, though.

“A win would be a blessing,” he said. “I ain’t going to lie. We got a lot of goals. The offseason stuff, that’s going to come. In God’s hands on that. All I’m focused on is today and trying to get ready for Saturday.

“I’m at a space where I had a pretty good year, so I know God’s been handling everything. It’s going to come. Now we got an opportunity of a lifetime and that’s all I’m worrying about right now.”

Sanders has played in two playoff games and is 0-2 in them.

“I haven’t made it to the second round, so for us to be able to start in the second round is a blessing,” he said. “It’s not going to be easy. Like I said, win or go home mentality. That’s on my mind. That’s what I’m going to go by. And that’s going to keep me locked in.”

As a rookie in 2019, the Eagles lost to the Seahawks in the first round, 17-9. Sanders had 69 yards on 14 carries. The sky seemed to be the limit for him. He had 818 yards that season and three touchdowns with 50 catches for 509 yards and three more scores.

Injuries intervened and, even though he followed up his rookie year with 867 yards rushing and a 5.3 yards per carry average with 28 receptions for 197 yards, it wasn’t until this season he broke the 1,000-yard barrier.

Last year, the Eagles fell to Tampa Bay in the wildcard round, 31-15. They fell behind 31-0 and the running game wasn’t much of a factor. Sanders finished with just seven runs for 16 yards with three catches for 12 yards.

“That just ain’t us,” he said of that defeat “Bad taste in our mouths. And we came in and handled business for this regular season. And we’re back in the same spot, playoffs. So, we’re trying to go farther than we did last year, go all the way, honestly. But we gotta take it one day at a time.”

How much did Sanders glean from his two previous playoff games?

“Everything’s a little bit faster,” he said. “You gotta think a little more quicker. You gotta be sharper. You’re going to get everybody’s best. Like I said, everybody got it in their head that it’s win or go home, so the margin of error is slim right now.”

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.