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Only four teams in the league this past season ran for fewer yards then Doug Pederson’s club. It was quite a departure from the Super Bowl championship season of 2017 when the Philadelphia Eagles finished third in the NFL in rushing yards per game.
That patience with the rushing attack carried over into the postseason in wins over the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots. And in the 41-33 conquest of New England, the Birds racked up 164 yards on the ground vs. Bill Belichick’s team.
That year, the running back corps included physical performers such as LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi and undrafted free agent Corey Clement. The former led the way with 173 carries, good for 766 yards and two scores. Ajayi was a late-October addition from the Miami Dolphins and ran for 408 yards. Clement actually led the club with four rushing touchdowns.
But last offseason, Blount left via free agency and joined the Detroit Lions. Ajayi went down early in the year with a knee injury and remains unsigned. The Eagles averaged just 98.1 yards per game rushing and averaged less than 25 running plays per game.
Now enter three-year pro, Jordan Howard. Obtained via trade from the Chicago Bears this offseason, the 2016 fifth-round draft choice from Indiana University totaled at least 250 carries each year for Chicago. He should help this Eagles’ offense return to its balanced ways of 2017.