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LeSean McCoy: I Want to Carry This Game on My Back
Published18 Dec 2013
After carrying the ball just eight times last Sunday against the Vikings, LeSean McCoy hopes to once again be the focal point of the Eagles offense agains the Bears.
LeSean McCoy is aggravated.
The league's leading rusher's number was called for just eight carries in Last Sunday's 48-30 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, that eliminated the Eagles chance to wrap up the NFC East division championship Sunday night against the Bears regardless of the outcome of Cowboys-Redskins earlier in the day.
The 25-year old who has rushed for 1,343 yards and seven touchdowns wants to lead the way Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
"This is a big game for us, very big," McCoy said. "I feel like this game I have to put the offense on my back. I want to get going.
"Me and the guys up front, we have to set the tone. Once we do that we can worry about the other teams. Right now, the big guys up front and I, we have to put this one on our back."
McCoy has carried the ball 20 times or more seven times this season and the Eagles are 6-1 in those games. It's certainly understandable that he would want the ball in his hands after such a light workload last week.
Chicago's rushing defense ranks dead last in the league and the unit that used to be feared as the "Monsters of The Midway" are allowing 152 yards per game on the ground.
In short, conventional wisdom says that Chip Kelly would be wise to run the ball early and run it often on Sunday night. Then again, when McCoy is standing in the backfield, that argument can be made every week.
As far as McCoy's mission to carry his teammates on his back across the finish line, nobody seems more excited to execute the mission than his offensive line teammates.
"He's hungry to run the ball," Evan Mathis told reporters at his locker following Wednesday's practice. "Anytime you call a run play the offensive line is happy. We love smash mouth football and would love to take over a game like that. It's way easier when you have a back like him."
Mathis though understands that the offense is at the mercy of the game plan. Kelly called 48 passes against the Vikings.
"Some teams have had success running the ball against them," Mathis said. "If we have some runs called, we hope to have success as well."
They say that winning cures all ills and last week's loss certainly shook the players in this locker room back into focus.
Should the game plan call for more McCoy and more smash mouth football, it seems this offense is ready to deliver.
The weather forecast calls for balmy conditions and heavy rain in Philadelphia on Sunday night. Just two weeks ago McCoy set the franchise single game rushing record with 217 yards on a snow covered field.
What can fans and his teammates look forward to if there turns out to be a sloppy track Sunday night?
"The rain, man," McCoy said. "I may run for 300."
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
