Eagles running back LeSean McCoy has been slowed by NFC East opponents in two of the last three games and could be the most pivotal player on offense this week. Photo:FoxSports.com
If there's a formula to slow the league's leading rusher, LeSean McCoy, the New York Giants seemed to author it three weeks ago at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants stymied McCoy to the tune of his lowest output of the season, just 46 yards on 20 carries in a 36-21 Eagles win.
McCoy's running lanes were narrower than they had been all season and the Giants front seven manhandled the Birds' offensive line which made it difficult to get the run game going even before Michael Vick exited with a pulled hamstring in the second quarter.
"If you're going to play man coverage and try to contain us in the box, other guys have to contribute in terms of being able to help and uncover some things," Chip Kelly explained Wednesday. "There are a couple runs where LeSean hit it and came out the other side, and was one guy away from making it into a really big play. So it's a game in terms of we need to execute a little bit better in the run game, obviously. But I feel like if you're going to try to gang up on one aspect, we need to be able to lean on another aspect for us to be successful offensively."
It's no secret that the Eagles offense functions at it's optimal when McCoy is the focal point. In games where McCoy surpasses 100 yards rushing it's little surprise that the Eagles are 2-1 and in games where he fails to exceed the century mark they are just 1-3.
After an all around embarassing showing from the offense against the Dallas Cowboys in week seven, McCoy and company hope to hit the ground running early and often against the Giants.
"They did some things that took us out of our game," McCoy said. "But we just have to go in and make adjustments and coach [Chip] Kelly is good at that..I think they made some plays last time around and you certainly want to answer back but you want to win the game."
The Giants slowing the Eagles dynamic rushing attack isn't an isolated situation. New York is allowing 110 yards rushing per game but held Adrian Peterson to just 28 yards on 13 carries Monday.
For the Eagles though, it will come down to winning the battles up front at the point of attack that could spring McCoy and if that happens, possibly break the backs once and for all of the 1-6 Giants.
"It really comes down to me," Jason Kelce said Wednesday. "I think everyone else played a pretty good game but I got beat a couple of times and that took negative yards and then all of a sudden coach doesn't want to call run plays because you're losing yardage and it comes down to them having a good game plan against me and we didn't adjust but now that we've seen the game film we'll know how to adjust ahead of time."
One thing that likely won't play a role is Vick's return.
"I really don't know whether defense's change up how they defend our run game," Kelce said. "But all I know is that the plays we call don't change depending on who's in there [at quarterback]."
Regardless of what the past few weeks have been like for McCoy, his confidence certainly hasn't been shaken.
"I'll bounce back this week, for sure," McCoy said. "It's all about trusting the scheme."
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.
