Reggie Bush is the most dynamic running back the Eagles have faced this season and keeping him bottled up could go a long way towards winning Sunday's game against the Lions. Image: USA TODAY
Calvin Johnson has garnered plenty of attention this week in the Eagles locker room and rightfully so.
However, for all of the attention being paid to the receiver who has more than earned the nickname 'Megatron' during his career, the Eagles defense can ill afford to lose sight of running back Reggie Bush on Sunday.
Bush is in the midst of a career year, already rushing for 854 yards and three touchdowns on 180 carries while averaging a paltry 4.7 yards per carry through the Lions first 12 games.
Defensively the Eagles are ranked 19th against the run, allowing 4.1 yards per carry to their opponents.
However, outside of Alfred Morris, the Birds have yet to face a back that brings the kind of speed and athleticism to the table that Bush does.
Make no mistake about it, Bush represents the biggest test the Eagles have looked across the line of scrimmage at this season.
"He's one of those guys that you got to know where he is on every play." Chip Kelly said earlier this week. "They do a great job. Coach [Scott] Linehan runs their offense, does a great job of moving him around, putting him in different spots. He is not always the running back. He is going to be in the slot, he is going to be the single receiver. There's going to be an empty. He creates mismatches.
"If it becomes a matchup game, you're trying to get somebody matched up on Calvin [Johnson], then you're trying to match up with the other receivers, the tight end, who is left to cover the back? They will expect that, especially depending on which linebacker you put on them."
Last week the Eagles dodged a bullet when Cardinals leading rusher Andre Ellington was inactive with a knee injury.
This week Bush has been nicked up thanks to playing on Thanksgiving last Thursday, but he returned to the practice field on Wednesday and appears to be all systems go.
"We've really got to keep an eye on Reggie back there," Trent Cole said Thursday. "He's a good back. He's as quick as there is and we have to keep him contained."
Bush's impact goes beyond just what he does in the ground game as the Lions like to utilize him in the passing game out of the backfield.
The eight-year veteran is averaging ten-yards per catch, and has accounted for 448 yards through the air.
"His burst out there, he moves a lot quicker than the film shows," Brandon Graham pointed out Thursday. "We have to get out there and put hands on him just as much as we do against a guy like Calvin Johnson."
One advantage the defense has is that they have been practicing against the leagues leading rusher; LeSean McCoy every day since the first day of minicamp back in May.
"McCoy will embarrass you a little more than Reggie Bush would from back in his college days," Graham joked. "I don't know what it is about Shady but that burst, it's a great gift to have. Reggie has turned into a downhill runner and that's something we have to take care of because once he gets out of the gate, there may not be any catching him."
So while Johnson understandably must garner attention, keeping Bush bottled up very well may be most critical to the Eagles chances not only of getting off the field and ending drives but also emerging with another important victory as the stretch run continues Sunday.
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.
