Often time when a head coach is either lying or naive when saying he is dealing with a "good problem to have."
It is never a "good problem" to have two quarterbacks. It isn't a "good problem" to have to rotate along the offensive line between healthy players. It isn't "good problem" to have a kicker competition.
When it comes to the running back position, however, head coach Nick Sirianni is correct — the rotation the Eagles have is indeed a good problem to have, and that is especially true with the potential return of Miles Sanders.
Although it isn't official, the expectation is that Sanders will return to action this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, a crucial game for an Eagles team that is in a playoff race.
The return of Sanders comes at an interesting time for the Eagles.
Prior to Sanders going down the team was hardly running the ball. Once they committed to the run, Sanders was sidelined with an ankle injury, and the offense leaned heavily on Jordan Howard and Boston Scott. The results have been outstanding. With a new emphasis on the running game the Eagles have turned their season around, running all over the Lions, Chargers and Broncos.
In fact, the running game has been so good that Sanders return has sparked some debate on how the team should handle the rotation once their starter is back on the field.
While it is an interesting debate, make no mistake about it — the Eagles should stick with Sanders as their lead running back.
Why? The answer is pretty simple. Sanders is the best running back on the roster.
To be clear, this does not mean they should send Howard or Scott to the bench. Both deserve to still get the ball this Sunday against the Saints and moving forward. The idea that Sanders shouldn't get his role back as the starter, however, is taking it too far.
As good as Howard and Scott have been, it is Sanders that is the most talented back in the Eagles running back room. There is a reason he averages more yards-per-carry in his career than Scott or Howard, and averages more yards-per-touch including the passing game as well.
Sanders is a dynamic, big-play running back that has shown he is capable of turning a small gain into a long touchdown. He is the most elusive running back they have, he has the best breakaway speed in the group and he is the most dangerous back they have in the open field.
The Eagles got a very quick look at what Sanders can do in this new run-first offense vs. the Raiders. Although it was just six carries, Sanders average 5.0 yards-per-carry before he went down with an ankle injury. That 5.0 average is more than either Scott or Howard averaged in either of the next two games. With a commitment to the run, Sanders can not only be just as effective as Scott and Howard, he can take the big holes the offensive line has been creating and turn them into touchdowns instead of big gains.
Of course, there is a chance Sanders comes back and doesn't have the same impact Scott and Howard have had. He is coming off of an injury and will have not played in close to a month.
If Sanders comes out against the Saints and isn't getting the job done, the Eagles shouldn't hesitate to turn back to Scott and Howard on a full-time basis if it will give them a better chance of winning.
At the start of the game, however, it should be Sanders back in his role as the starting running back, giving the Eagles the big-time playmaker they have been lacking in their now dominant running game.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
