Miles Sanders Living in a Dream State

LANDOVER, MD. - Excuse Miles Sanders if he feels like he is living in a dream.

The Eagles’ running back continues to break rookie records in the team’s history book.

During Sunday’s 37-27 win over the Washington Redskins, Sanders moved past LeSean McCoy into first place in rushing yards by a rookie with 687 yards and surged past DeSean Jackson for most yards from scrimmage with 1,120.

McCoy set his record in 2009 with 637; Jackson set the record in 2008 with 1,008.

“This stuff doesn’t feel real, but I don’t want to make this about me,” said Sanders, the Eagles’ second-round draft pick out of Penn State. “It’s great to be mentioned with those guys, to be in the same conversations as those guys, but I was focused on getting this W.”

Sanders should, at minimum, be in the conversation for NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. He won’t win it – that’s probably a two-man race between Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and Raiders running back Josh Jacobs – but there seems little doubt that Sanders is at least in the top five members of his rookie class.

One could even that Sanders is a better all-around player than Jacobs, at least so far this season.

Jacobs has 1,150 yards and seven rushing touchdowns this season, but just 20 receptions for 166 yards and no touchdowns.

Sanders’ numbers so far this season: 687 yards rushing and with 42 catches for 433 yards and five total touchdowns – two rushing and three receiving.

“My expectation (after being drafted) was to do whatever I can to help, that’s what I said when I first came to this team,” said Sanders. “Trying to give this team a chance to get wins each week, that’s my job. It’s definitely a blessing, breaking these records and getting recognized, but I’m trying to get the win.”

The Eagles had two second-round picks last spring and Sanders’ impact has been far greater than receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who played 71 of 73 offensive snaps against Washington and was targeted just twice and didn’t have a catch.

Sanders played 16 fewer snaps than Arcega-Whiteside did on Sunday and, well, there were a handful of them that were difference makers in the win.

Sanders’ workload is increasing due to injuries at the receiving position which left them with only one productive receiver on Sunday, and that was Greg Ward, who had 61 yards receiving on seven catches and made the game-winning four-yard touchdown catch with 26 seconds to go in the game.

Also, Sanders has taken over as the lead back with Jordan Howard still trying to recover from a shoulder injury suffered in early November.

“It’s a lot on his plate, especially as a rookie,” said quarterback Carson Wentz. “You know he’s picking up blitz protection, running the ball, catching screens and grabbing people up out of the backfield. He does it all so well, game in and game out. He keeps getting it done.”

Sanders relishes the opportunity.

“I’m going to go out there and do my job regardless, but when you have guys banged up like that and the type of season I’m having, I was going to go out there and say, ‘Put the game on my shoulders and let’s go ball out,’” said Sanders.

Sanders had two touchdowns; a one-yard run to give the Eagles a 10-7 second-quarter lead, the other a sure-handed grab of a 15-yard laser throw from Wentz to give the Eagles a 17-14 third-quarter advantage.

The rookie ran for 122 yards on 19 carries and made six catches for 50 yards. His 56-yard run on a third-and-10 early in the fourth quarter led to a two-yard touchdown catch by Zach Ertz and Sanders already has more receptions, yards and yards-per-catch average than receiver Nelson Agholor (39-363, 9.3 ypc).

His 172 scrimmage yards on 25 touches were a career-high on Sunday and that total made him the first Eagles rookie to produce 170-plus scrimmage yards, one rushing touchdown and one receiving TD in the same game.

“I’m still a rookie, still learning, getting better each week, but this game is special,” said Sanders. “This is a dream come true to me.”

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