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I wasn’t expecting to get this version of Jordan Howard when the Eagles traded for the former Bear back in March. It was a low-risk move. Howie Roseman and the Birds traded a mid-round pick for a guy whose efficiency and overall production dropped each successive season of his three-year career. Maybe he could fill that 2017 LeGarrette Blount role?
Howard has been 2017 Blount and more, exceeding my hopes for a true thunder and lightning pairing alongside rookie running back Miles Sanders. He’s a battering ram, seemingly always gaining yards after contact and consistently falling forward to grind out every possible yard. It’s refreshing. He can be both a starter and a closer in the backfield. How did the Bears let this dude go?
He didn’t fit Matt Nagy’s offensive system it seemed. Nagy and Doug Pederson stem from the same coaching tree, but Pederson appears quite capable of acclimating his offense to the machine in the #24 jersey. Howard isn’t a fool. He knows what the Bears brass was saying about him. He knows that he was written off. He knows he’s been revitalized in Philadelphia. This week has been circled on Howard’s calendar for months. Come Sunday, it will be time for revenge.
Chicago has a stout defense again this season, though not quite as good as last year, as they sit seventh in Football Outsiders’ defensive DVOA metric. Their run defense, specifically, is only 13th though. The Bears aren’t pushovers against the run, but Howard is going to have a chance to get his. The Birds have gone 41-straight games without a 100-yard rusher. If there was ever a time for Howard to snap that streak, it will be when Nagy is standing on the opposite sideline.
On this week’s episode of From the Bleachers, I rejoice in a season-saving win in Buffalo, pray for Jordan Howard’s ultimate revenge and chose some parting words for the snake known as Orlando Scandrick.
For anyone listening, I appreciate you tuning in! I’m excited to find my voice with BGN Radio and thank you for coming along for the ride. It’s been a while since the Eagles had a home game, but if you’re looking for a spot to tailgate on Sunday, hit me up on Twitter (@shamus_clancy) or via email (shamusjclancy @ gmail dot com). We’ve had some readers come through this season and it’s been a blast. Come by and snag a BGN shirt too!
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