The jokes write themselves.
Those were some of the comments used when it was suggested back in November, that Eagles rookie running back Miles Sanders was slowly making his case to be named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Names like Gardner Minshew, Kyler Murray, and Josh Jacobs were thrown around, but when Sanders was mentioned, there was laughter and obnoxious responses. After helping carry the Eagles offense over the last month and a half, who’s laughing now?
At the end of November, Sanders led ALL NFL rookies with 709 all-purpose yards and became the first NFL running back since Adrian Peterson, to amass 500+ scrimmage yards and 250+ return yards in his first 8 career games.
When November ended, Sanders was the only NFL rookie this season, to amass 200+ rush yards and 200+ rec. yards as well.
If you check vegas odds currently for the award, names like Murray, Jacobs, AJ Brown of Tennesse, Terry McLaurin of Washington and Seattle’s DK Metcalf are mentioned in front of Sanders even now, and yet, the Eagles rookie may be the only player mentioned to make a playoff appearance.
Jacobs has more rushing yards than Sanders, as the Oakland Raiders rookie has amassed 1,150 yards rushing while averaging nearly five yards per carry. Outside of those stats, Jacobs has been injured and his Raiders are unlikely to make the playoffs.
McLaurin has been a goldmine for the Redskins coming out of Ohio State, and probably would be favored for the award if his team was performing better. The former Buckeye star is closing in on 1,000 receiving yards and has a bright future ahead of him.
That leaves Sanders, who has been the Eagles’ biggest and most explosive offensive weapon all season long.
In the win over Dallas, Sanders had 156 total yards and a touchdown, while making big play after big play.
Sanders is now just the 5th rookie since 2000 with 500+ rush yards and 500+ receiving yards in a season, joining Reggie Bush, Giovani Bernard, Alvin Kamara, and Saquon Barkley on that list.
Sanders is only the 8th rookie RB in league history with 750 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a season. He joins Hall of Famers Gale Sayers, Marshall Faulk, and Charley Taylor in that category, along with Abner Haynes, Saquon Barkley, Edgerrin James, and Billy Sims.
He may not have more rushing yards than Josh Jacobs but in terms of all-purpose yards, Sanders is among the top-10, as a rookie.
NFL All-Purpose Yards Leaders
1. Christian McCaffrey (2,294)
2. Nick Chubb (1,730)
3. Michael Thomas (1,679)
4. Leonard Fournette (1,674)
5. Dalvin Cook (1,654)
6. Ezekiel Elliott (1,653)
7. Miles Sanders (1,590)
Over his last four games, with the Eagles season on the line, Sanders has 79 carries for 329 rushing yards (4.6 YPC) and 20 receptions for 173 yards and 6 total touchdowns.
Sanders leads all NFL rookies in all-purpose yards, he’s now set the franchise rookie record for scrimmage yards.
On Sunday against Dallas, Sanders became the first Eagles rookie with 75 yards rushing and 75 receiving in a game since Billy Ray Barnes did it in 1957 per Rueben Frank.
Sanders just broke LeSean McCoy’s team rookie rushing record and in Week 15, he became 1st Eagles rookie with 170+ scrimmage yards, one touchdown receiving and one touchdown rushing in the same game.
The race shouldn’t even be close, but those numbers above and the dynamic ability Sanders is set to display in the season finale and the playoffs, suggest another award should be on its way to Philly.