The offseason switch to a more athletic offensive line has helped allow LeSean McCoy to become one of the league's elite running backs.

The line's ability to get off the snap quickly and block effectively at the second level is the ideal complement to McCoy's unique lateral speed and agility in open space. In fact, Football Outsiders, an analytical site, ranks the Eagles offensive line as the best run blocking team at the second level in the NFL this season.

McCoy established himself as one of the on-the-rise players in the NFL last season when he rushed for 1,080 yards, caught a team-high 78 passes for 592 yards and scored nine total touchdowns.

Well, this season, McCoy is fifth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (94.8). He's tops in the league in first downs (45), fourth-quarter rushing yards (179 yards, 9.94 yards per carry), rushes of 10-or-more yards (23) and rushing touchdowns of 10-or-more yards (3). Another interesting stat is that he's seventh in the league in rushing yards after contact (252) proving that he's not just some finesse back.

McCoy, listed at 5-11, 208 pounds, said that the one element of his game that he wanted to develop going into this season was "explosion." He did a lot of work running sprints wearing a parachute and doing plyometric exercises like squats to help him get stronger.

"I felt like to be a better back I had to get more explosive," McCoy said. "I think it's paid off so far."

And the changes to the offensive line have made "a big difference" in McCoy's eyes.

"Not only for me, but the whole offense," McCoy said. "I think Andy did a good job of just getting a group of guys that are fast enough, quick enough to get out there in the open field and open the holes up and then get the blocks 6, 7 yards down the field."

Guard Evan Mathis, who signed with the Eagles in the offseason, appreciates how fast McCoy is, but notes that there's another physical trait that makes him so good - his vision.

"He's very, very quick to find the holes in the defense. He's quick to make the right read in whatever the play call is," Mathis said. "When he gets in space, he's dangerous."

And Mathis believes there's plenty of reasons to think that the run offense, which is tops in the NFL, can still improve.

"It's been an evolution of what we're trying to do and steadily trying to improve what we do," Mathis said. "We haven't changed much. It's more refining. More of us getting better at the techniques. Shady getting better at reading the holes, getting better at trusting where we're going to be and knowing where we're going to be."

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