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Myles Sanders focuses on team goals, free agent approach originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Miles Sanders hasn’t made the playoffs yet, but with a career year and his first Pro Bowl coming to an end, and a new contract coming, this could be a pretty good time.
Sanders ran 14 times for 69 yards as a rookie in the Eagles’ 17-9 wild card loss to the Seahawks (against Josh McCown). He has been dealing with an injury to his ankle in 2019 and had surgery last year to repair a fracture in his hand.
Sanders finally got it all together in his fourth season in the NFL this year. If he shines against his 27th-ranked run defense in the NFL on Saturday, it will go a long way in helping the Eagles advance to his NFC Championship Game.
He said he was dealing with knee pain a few weeks ago and is fine now.
“It’s late in the season, so everyone has scars and bruises,” Sanders said. “But I’m just trying to do the best I can, keep doing reps, keep my legs moving, and not sit tight.
“I hadn’t been on the field for five days at the time of the season when I had my bye last week, so I had to move my legs.
Sanders’ 5.0 career rush average is the fifth highest since he entered the league in 2019, behind Nick Chubb (5.3), Raheem Mostert (5.2), Tony Pollard (5.1) and Jonathan Taylor (5.1).
However, with a 4.0 in the postseason, he ranks 17th among 27 running backs with at least 20 carries in the postseason since 2019.
The next step in Sanders’ career is to put up big numbers in the postseason and help the Eagles win a home playoff game for the first time since the Super Bowl season.
Sanders focuses on team goals rather than individual goals. But it’s no secret that the Eagles win when he produces.
The Eagles were 8-0 this year when Sanders rushed for 70+ yards. Since late 2020, he has won 13 straight games, and overall he is 17-5-1.
When he’s not, they’re 6-3 this year and 14-22 overall.
Tampa was truly the lowest point for the entire franchise, but for Sanders, the 2.3 rushing average was arguably the third lowest of his career. I was putting the part on the back burner. He had just three carries after halftime and had none in his last 21½ minutes.
“It’s not us,” Sanders said of last year’s playoff loss. I tried to make it through to the end.”
What was the lesson of your miserable day in Tampa?
“Everything went a little faster,” he said. “You have to think a little faster. It is narrow.…
“You have to lock in and lose focus. Then it’s hard to beat….Not just me, the whole team. We didn’t win 14 games for no reason.”
Sanders is one of the notable Eagles not to sign a contract after this year, but at 25 he is the second youngest (a few months older than Chauncey Gardner-Johnson) and one of the most interesting players.
He’s already eighth in Eagles history in rushing, and his 3,708 yards are just 158 less than LeSean McCoy had in his first four seasons.
Just like Jason Kells, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham, every game could be Sanders’ last in an Eagles uniform.
He’s just not focused on it.
“I’m in a space where I’ve had some pretty good years[and]it’s going to come,” he said. That’s all there is to it.
“A win would be a blessing. We have a lot of goals, some off-season. My focus is just on getting ready for today and Saturday.”
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