Tackle Lane Johnson said that the Eagles wanted to rediscover their identity as a running offense. Well, the Eagles were able to do just that Sunday as running back LeSean McCoy gained 130 yards on the ground for his second-highest total of the season and scored a touchdown in the 43-24 win.
One week after the Titans allowed Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell to gain 204 yards on the ground, McCoy chipped away with runs of 15 yards and 12 yards on the Eagles' first offensive drive. The Titans crumbled early in the second quarter as McCoy was in vintage form as he gashed Tennessee with a 53-yard run down the left sideline. It was McCoy's longest run of the year as he gained 100 yards exactly by halftime on just 14 carries (7.1 yards per carry). With the Eagles ahead by 17 points entering the game's final quarter, McCoy traded a helmet for a baseball cap and was on the sideline basking in the glow of the win.
"We just stuck to it. Coming off the terrible loss to Green Bay, everybody focused in and had a terrific week of practice and we just stuck to it," McCoy said. "I think everybody executed, they got the backs in one-on-one situations. The guys up front really, really blocked well. Even the guys outside, the wide receivers, they blocked well too so it was just all together. I think (Mark) Sanchez played good and made the right calls and the different reads, got points when we needed points and drove the ball well. Overall, we did well."
McCoy has rushed for 218 yards in two games since a season-low 19-yard output in the rout of the Carolina Panthers. Head coach Chip Kelly said he was unhappy with the offense's performance in that Monday night win over Carolina and the rushing attack was a big reason why. McCoy was at his best last December. He gained 598 yards rushing in the Eagles' final five games as the team went 4-1 and won the NFC East. The Eagles will need McCoy, who has 859 yards on the season following Sunday's win, to be performing at a peak level with games coming up at Dallas on Thanksgiving, vs. Seattle and against the Cowboys in the next three weeks.
"Even though everybody talks about it starting to be a passing league, I think late in the year, you really count on the running game to kind of take some time off the clock, to manage the game, take control over the game and kind of dominate it a little bit," McCoy said. "So I think late in the year, you have to count on your running game."
The Eagles face the Titans in their last 2014 matchup against an AFC South opponent...
A big celebration for the #TheHunter
TE James Casey with his second touchdown of the season
WR Riley Cooper getting two feet down for the catch
LB Mychal Kendricks grabbing the jersey of the quarterback just before the ball was thrown away
S Malcolm Jenkins celebrating the pass defense
WR Josh Huff with the final stiff arm before reaching the end zone
WR Josh Huff with a big 107-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
WR Josh Huff will accept the opening kick
The offical game ball for today's game
RB LeSean McCoy getting ready for today's game
S Malcolm Jenkins getting the team pumped up for the game
DT Beau Allen walking back in after warmups
CB Bradley Fletcher is ready to go
MacAttack
LB Trent Cole getting warmed up for the game
WRÂ Josh Huff returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown!
P Donnie Jones getting warmed up before the game
SWOOP in the tunnel before the game
TE James Casey and T Lane Johnson walking out to the field
WR Jeremy Maclin and RB Chris Polk heading out the field
The Eagles in the tunnel and ready to go
Running out through the smoke
RB LeSean McCoy charging out onto the field
The flag during the National Anthem
Eagles Cheer prior to the start of the game
WR Josh Huff running up the sideline during the his opening kickoff return
Eagles cheerleaders getting the crowd excited for the start of the game
LB Connor Barwin with a big sack
LB Connor Barwin celebrating the big sack
RB Darren Sproles cutting around the defenders
LB Connor Barwin staring into the backfield before the snap
QB Mark Sanchez back in the pocket
RB LeSean McCoy breaking through tackles
RB LeSean McCoy finding a good hole at the line of scrimmage
Eagles fans happy to be at the game today
TE Brent Celek taking on three Titans defenders
RB LeSean McCoy fighting through tackles
K Cody Parkey doing what he does best
G Andrew Gardener blocking on the pass
QB Mark Sanchez dropping back and slinging the ball
WR Jordan Matthews getting up field with the ball after the catch
RB Chris Polk with the carry
S Nate Allen on the tackle
RB LeSean McCoy cutting through the line
K Cody Parkey has made two field goals in the game thus far
RB LeSean McCoy making tacklers miss
LB Trent Cole diving to make the tackle
The Eagles defense getting pressure on the quarterback
WR Jordan Matthews diving forward to gain extra yards
RB Chris Polk fighting for extra yards
RB Darren Sproles making tacklers miss
CB Cary Williams making the tackle
TE Zach Ertz breaking the tackle
The flag flying across the end zone after a touchdown
RB LeSean McCoy celebrating his touchdown
WR Jeremy Maclin getting up to make the catch
LB Mychal Kendricks with the sack
QBÂ Mark Sanchez back in the pocket
RB Chris Polk
RB LeSean McCoy breaking into the open field
RB Darren Sproles running down the sideline
S Chris Prosinski running down the field to make the tackle
WR Jordan Matthews throwing out the stiff arm
QB Mark Sanchez
TE Zach Ertz keeping his balance as he moves down field
QB Mark Sanchez throwing on the move
QB Mark Sanchez back in the pocket
A true team tackle
RB LeSean McCoy running up the sideline
WR Jeremy Maclin with the catch and run
LB Brandon Graham with the pressure
CB Brandon Boykin making the tackle
LB Brandon Graham charging the offensive line
DE Vinny Curry diving at the quarterback
TE Zach Ertz looking to juke a tackler
Head Coach Chip Kelly
QB Mark Sanchez looking down field at his target
RB LeSean McCoy taking the hand off
Some running back #BrotherlyLove
The offense celebrating RB LeSean McCoy's touchdown
RB Darren Sproles
The Eagles defense forcing a fumble
C Jason Kelce leading the way
QB Mark Sanchez making the pass
Celebrating the touchdown
LBs Brandon Graham and Mychal Kendricks on the tackle
RB Darren Sproles
RB Darren Sproles
An Eagles cheerleader getting the crowd pumped up during the game
DE Brandon Bair clogging up the line
LB Trent Cole on the tackle
WR Jeremy Maclin
Eagles fans getting loud today at the Linc
LB Trent Cole with the big hit
LB Trent Cole celebrating his sack
Some defensive line love
LB Trent Cole getting the crowd pumped up
RB Chris Polk finding the seam
C Jason Kelce leading the way
LB Connor Barwin causing the fumble
WR Riley Cooper diving forward
LB Trent Cole with the sack
Head Coach Chip Kelly picking up the flag for the referee
WR Riley Cooper
TE Brent Celek fighting through the tackles
The forced fumble
The defense with a great performance in today's game
McCoy may not be leading the league in rushing like he did in 2013, although he is currently in third place despite the constant turnover up front as the offensive line unveiled its seventh different starting combination on Sunday with Andrew Gardner starting at right guard. McCoy refuses to look at the Tennessee win as a personal confidence booster. He just thinks it was a good game for the Eagles - as a whole.
"It's (important) for the team that we all played well," McCoy said. "You look at our offense. We threw the ball well. We ran the ball well. We made different plays when we needed to make them. Guys were blocked up, guys missed tackles. I don't look at it like a confidence-type game if that's what you're talking about. I just think overall it was a good game for us."
