The Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, but will get a boost this Sunday as running back LeSean McCoy returns from a concussion.
McCoy has missed four games since suffering the injury in the team's 31-6 loss to the Washington Redskins. The running back was cleared by an independent neurologist and passed all of the NFL's concussion protocols.
McCoy was originally hurt in the final two minutes of the game against the Redskins and had 14 carries for 45 yards and caught six passes for 67 yards. Head coach Andy Reid was criticized at the time by some in the media, saying that McCoy should have been out of the game once it was out of hand.
"We were trying to catch up and win the game," Reid said to Philly.com at the time.
McCoy hadn't scored a touchdown in the previous three games and is having a less productive season than compared to 2011. Last year, McCoy was one of the most explosive players in football, rushing for 1,309 yards and 17 touchdowns to go along with 48 receptions and three touchdowns.
This year McCoy has rushed for just 750 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games and has caught 40 balls for 325 yards and three touchdowns. He has also had issues protecting the ball, fumbling four times and losing three of them.
The fourth-year pro out of Pittsburgh has rushed for over 100 yards only three times this year and had a season-low 22 yards rushing in Philadelphia's 26-23 overtime loss to the Lions in October. His best game this season came against the New York Giants on Sept. 30 when he rushed for 123 yards and caught three balls for 17 yards.
Backup Bryce Brown has done a solid job starting the past four games in place of McCoy and has rushed for 528 yards and four touchdowns this season. Brown started off very quickly, rushing for 169 yards and 178 yards in his first two career starts, scoring four touchdowns in the process.
Since then though, he has struggled mightily, gaining only 40 yards on 28 carries. Brown has also dealt with ball protection issues, fumbling four times this season and losing three of them.
"With Bryce, I just feel he needs to play," Reid said to Philly.com. "He didn't get a lot of college experience so he's catching up. He's catching up at the highest level of football you can catch up at. But I think when it's all said and done you're going to have a good, solid running back."
Head coach Andy Reid said that both McCoy and Brown would rotate during the game on Sunday, while quarterback Michael Vick, who has missed five games with a concussion, will serve as the third string quarterback behind starter Nick Foles and backup Trent Edwards.
McCoy hasn't been having his best season, but he could make the fans forget if he performs well over the next two games. The biggest issue will be if McCoy can make it through the next stretch of games without re-injuring himself.
Reid named Foles the starter a few weeks ago for the rest of the season even if Vick did come back healthy. He has passed for 1,356 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions since taking over for Vick. Foles helped the Eagles end an eight-game losing streak two weeks ago after leading the team to a comeback 23-21 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Eagles have dealt with numerous injuries this season, including to Vick and wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this month. Jackson was the leading receiver on the team, but suffered multiple fractured ribs in a 30-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football.
This past season Jackson had 45 receptions for 700 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Jackson is "tied with the Lions' Calvin Johnson for the most 30-yard receptions in the league with 48 since his NFL debut in 2008."
The injuries haven't helped the Eagles on offense, as their unit is ranked in the bottom half of the league in total yards. The team is giving up over 200 passing yards per game and has allowed 30 points to opponents six different times this season.
The Eagles are just 4-10 and have lost nine of the past ten games after starting 3-1. The team is officially out of the playoff picture and is the only one in the NFC East with no chance at the division title, as the New York Giants, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys are all tied with 8-6 records.
Philadelphia gets the chance to play spoiler in the next two weeks, with matchups against the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants on the schedule.
