PHILADELPHIA — Eagle run again Miles Sanders The team announced on Saturday.
Sanders, who had missed the previous three games with an ankle injury, is expected to play against New Orleans Saints on Sunday, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Sanders has been practicing all week and is expected to reprise his role to lead Philadelphia again.
“If Miles is fit and ready to go, he’s our starter,” coach Nick Sirianni said on Wednesday.
However, the distribution of snaps may look different than when Sanders was last in the lineup. Jordan Howard, Boston Scott and Kenny Gainwell proved to be an effective trio in Sanders’ absence. The trio has made 91 runs for 427 yards in the past three games.
Howard was a big part of that, passing 211 yards and three touchdowns on 41 attempts (5.1 YPC) in that span. He spent the early part of the year on the team in practice, but he became part of a rotation that kept moving forward even with Sanders back in the fold.
“When you have some good dribblers, that’s a good problem,” said Sirianni. “And it speaks to the depth that we have here, especially in the running room. So a great job by [Eagles general manager] Howie [Roseman] and his staff bring players in here and have depth, because we know it’s been a long season, it’s a 17-game season. You will have some bumps and bruises along the way. So it’s important that those entering the early stages are ready to get started. I think Jordan, Boston, and Kenny have done a great job, filling that role with Miles’ absence. “
Sanders, 24, ran 63 times in 300 yards (average 4.8) and made another 19 catches of 118 yards in seven games before his injury. The Eagles are in the process of changing their attack approach as soon as he crosses down. In Weeks 1-7, the team’s defenders totaled 96 takes (13.7 per game) for 444 yards, compared with 125 takes (42 per game) for 626 yards in Weeks 8-10.
