Jordan Howard is the Eagles’ best running back. Here’s hoping Doug Pederson notices prior to Sunday night.
I didn’t say Howard is the Eagles’ best receiving back— I think that’s more of a toss up. Miles Sanders has the youth, explosiveness, and upside, Darren Sproles the savvy, experience, dependability (if his body holds up), and Clement’s rookie resume reminds us he can catch like the MVP of the Super Bowl.
But if the Eagles want to shove the football down people’s throats while stepping on said throats, Jordan Howard should out-touch our receiving backs most weeks.
This is definitely one of those weeks.
Howard had 6 carries Sunday. Every one was a wow. This guy punches people with his pads while driving through them with unexpected balance and leg churn. Every carry ends in an unlikely fashion— where you’re watching with wonder and asking how the heck he came out the other end of that pile. Where defenders fall funny and look weaker and sort of scared, then take longer to get up after the whistle. And the chains move.
His 7.3 yards per carry in the opener was not a mirage. Howard outworked tacklers for every inch on Sunday. This back is special, as proven by his much-ballyhooed production over his first three seasons in the NFL. Since 2016, he’s been the 3rd-most productive back in the league. Zeke Elliott has rushed for 4,048 yards, Todd Gurley’s put up 3,441, and right behind Gurley— Jordan Howard, with 3,370. Seriously elite company for a guy who was given as many carries in the opener as some polydactyl people have on one hand.
So something stinks here. I feel like the Eagles do not appreciate the skilled weapon they’ve got holstered.
Why the rumors last week that the Eagles were shopping Howard to the Chargers? Doug Pederson felt the need to assure our newly-traded-for trooper that the reports of Howie Roseman’s attempt to send him to L.A. in exchange for Melvin Gordon were false. That Howard is here “to help the Eagles win games”. I don’t know— not a real ringing endorsement when, after he’s endured that shady sort of media barrage and job uncertainty just days prior to the opener, you gift the guy with 17 snaps all game long.
Yes, the Eagles’ offensive ineptitude in the first half had something to do with that low number: there were fewer plays to be shared by all because the offense couldn’t stay on the field for the first 30 minutes of game time— they only ran 28 plays. But Howard looked like the shiniest of few early bright spots against the Redskins. His two carries and catch worked. He gained 17 yards on three consecutive plays, when not much else was productive for Philly. His 1st-half-flash could have been a preface to a 15-carry second half— you could say his were the hottest hands in that backfield. 6 yards per carry to Sanders’ 0.0, to Sproles’ 2.7.
Instead, when the game clock expired, rookie Miles Sanders led Eagle backs with 36 offensive snaps and 12 touches. Darren Sproles had 29 combined offensive and special teams snaps and 16 touches. Inexplicably, Jordan Howard’s number was called four times in the second half, and he averaged 8 yards on each of those carries.
Fast-forward five days, and the Eagles offensive staff has pored over the Falcons’ game vs. the Vikings all work week long. Minnesota crushed Atlanta and built a 28-0 lead by sealing edges and running right through and past and over the speedy but smallish Falcons defenders 38 times. The winning offense attempted 10 passes all afternoon.
Doug Pederson will call plays in a deafening dome where his offensive tackles will not be able to get a jump on the snap count by anticipating Carson Wentz’s cadence. These bendy Atlanta edge rushers will have a first-step advantage when the Eagles try to pass. It’ll be difficult for Carson to communicate play changes at the line of scrimmage.
To win against this talented, salty outfit, the Eagles need to call run plays and keep them on. If things aren’t blocked perfectly, it doesn’t matter— Howard will become his own blocker because that’s just what he does.
Jordan Howard will specialize in unlikely, rugged, productive play finishes in a massive, national game that will likely finish like Eagle fans like ONLY if Doug Pederson starts to like Jordan Howard like I do.