Eagles News: LeGarrette Blount reacts to not taking a single carry

Let's get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

No fortune teller, LeGarrette Blount just as curious about his Eagles' future as you - CSN Philly
The Eagles brought in LeGarrette Blount late in the offseason in an attempt to solidify their rushing attack. As an established veteran, they hoped he would be the missing piece. He's missing all right. Blount had one touch Sunday. He didn't have a single carry. What does that mean for his role going forward? "You gotta ask Doug," Blount said after the Eagles' 27-20 loss. "I don't know things are going to go next week. I can't really predict the future. That's something for him to answer." Apparently, head coach Doug Pederson doesn't have a crystal ball either, even though it's his decision.

Eagles-Chiefs Final Score: 11 things we learned from Philadelphia’s game against Kansas City - BGN
You might not be one for moral victories. I don’t blame you. But this isn’t revisionist history from me. Prior to this game, I wrote about how I didn’t think the outcome of this matchup mattered a ton. Here’s the reality: the Eagles can easily be 2-1 and 2-0 in the division/conference by beating the Giants in Philadelphia next week. The Eagles are 4-0 in their last home games against the G-Men. Win next week and the Birds are right back on track.

The day after: Mistakes prove too costly for Eagles in loss to Chiefs - The Athletic
The Eagles ran 69 offensive plays, and just 13 of those were called runs. Sproles had 10 carries for 48 yards. Wendell Smallwood had three carries for 4 yards. “That is not a balance for success,” Doug Pederson said. “By no means do you want to do that at all.” Would a little bit more balance be nice? Sure. But I didn't watch that game and think the Eagles would have won had they run the ball more. The offense put up 17 points in the second half — three scores on six possessions (not counting the Hail Mary). After Sproles' first two carries of the game, Eagles running backs totaled 34 yards on their next 11 attempts (3.09 yards per carry). At some point, coaches just have to decide what gives the team the best chance to win the game. Pederson decided that was a pass-heavy attack, and given the Eagles' personnel, I don't disagree with him. The Eagles had 27 first downs, compared to 16 for the Chiefs. They totaled 406 yards, compared to 344. The offense was far from perfect, but it was moving the ball. What cost them the game were the key mistakes described above — not a lack of commitment to the run game.

Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Chiefs game - PhillyVoice
Jernigan had a good game Week 1 against the Redskins. While he was a little quieter Week 2, he did have the one play where he tossed Kareem Hunt like five yards with one hand. Jernigan has been a fun player to watch through two weeks.

Sunday Night Reflections - Iggles Blitz
The run game obviously is an issue. LeGarrette Blount ran for 46 yards in the opener and then disappeared in KC. Darren Sproles ran for 48 yards in KC. Wendell Smallwood hasn’t run anywhere. Every time he’s in the game, the defense seems to live in the backfield. I don’t know if that is bad luck or he’s tipping plays or what’s going on. Wentz isn’t going to survive a season where he has many games that involve him dropping back to pass 56 times (46 passes, 4 runs, 6 sacks). The coaches must get more balance in the offense, in terms of calling run plays, but also getting more from them. All you need are 3-yard gains for the run to help out. You’d obviously prefer to average 4 yards per carry, but you can live with less.

Eagles put too much on Carson Wentz, again - ESPN
Quarterback Carson Wentz had to shoulder the load once again, following up his 39 passes in Week 1 with 46 throws Sunday, completing 25 for 333 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 27-20 loss. He threw a critical pick in the fourth quarter on a ball that was deflected by Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston and intercepted by defensive end Chris Jones. Wentz was sacked six times, and wound up being the leading rusher with four carries for 55 yards. "In order to win games in this league you have to be able to run the ball unless you've got Tom Brady, guys like that," said right tackle Lane Johnson. "We have to run the ball. We have to take the pressure off of Carson, we've got to protect Carson better. We didn't do a good job today."

To put it Blountly, Eagles' lack of run game, overall O-line play lost the game - Daily News
They lost largely because their run game and their overall offensive-line play were not good enough. Thirteen carries for the running backs, for 52 yards, meant Carson Wentz had to drop back and face the Chiefs’ pass rush 56 times. Four of those times, Wentz was able to get loose and ramble, to the tune of 55 yards. Six more times, he was sacked. On the play that turned the game, a screen blew up in a flurry of red jerseys, blitzing safety Daniel Sorensen sprinted into the Eagles’ backfield for what seemed like the 50th time, and Wentz thunked a pass off the helmet of Kansas City linebacker Justin Houston, a ball Wentz was trying to throw away, at Darren Sproles’ feet.

No Rhythm, No Rhyme For Eagles' Offense - PE.com
It is already a theme two weeks into the season: The Eagles need help in the running game. They haven’t had much of one in two games this season, got almost nothing going on Sunday in a 27-20 loss to Kansas City, and the lack of a ground game is dragging down the entire offense ...

Sam Bradford is “fine” even though he didn’t play and nobody knows when he’ll be back - Daily Norseman
Now, I’m not sure how Zimmer and the Vikings are defining “fine” in this scenario, but if he doesn’t play for another six weeks, I’m not sure how that falls under the heading of “fine.” That actually seems as though it would be the exact opposite of “fine.” The Vikings’ offense struggled mightily under the leadership of Case Keenum on Sunday afternoon, and if Bradford doesn’t find his way back onto the field in short order, not only will he not be “fine,” but the Vikings’ 2017 season will almost certainly not be “fine” either.

ICYMI in NFL Week 2: Lots of empty seats at 2 games in LA - Yahoo
So by the looks of things, maybe - just maybe - the NFL overestimated the appetite for professional football in the Los Angeles area. All of those empty seats in the Coliseum during the TV broadcast of the Rams' 27-20 loss to the visiting Washington Redskins on Sunday? Not a great look. Nor was the Chargers' inability to sell out their first regular-season game in L.A. since moving from San Diego to their temporary stadium, which holds only 27,000, making it by far the smallest facility in the league. They drew only 25,381 for what turned out to be a 19-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

[BLG Note: The Eagles play the Chargers in Week 4 and the Rams later this season.]

The Cowboys were dominated for the 1st time in a long time in 42-17 loss to the Broncos - SB Nation
The Dallas Cowboys lost just three regular season games in 2016, but none were as one-sided and puzzling as the team’s defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos in Week 2. Dallas wasn’t just beat by the Broncos, the team was dominated in the trenches and couldn’t establish the run. That hasn’t been an issue for the Cowboys at all in the Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott era with the team’s offensive line bullying all opponents. After a 51-yard game in his professional debut, Elliott posted at least 80 rushing yards in the last 15 games of his rookie season.

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