Jim O’Connor-USA TODAY Sports
It is certainly easy to forget about RB LeSean McCoy’s spectacular single-season rushing performance in 2011 after his Philadelphia Eagles put together a historically horrific 4-12 campaign in 2012.
McCoy certainly didn’t look like the same running back just a year after amassing 1,309 rushing yards with 20 total touchdowns (17 rushing), as he was only able to convert on five total end-zone trips (two rushing) and 840 yards on the ground in 2012. Late in the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ Week 11 match-up with their division rival Washington Redskins, McCoy suffered a concussion and was forced to miss four consecutive games.
It’s safe to say that McCoy didn’t have the opportunity to follow up his glorious 2011 output considering he missed a quarter of the season, and the Eagles’ offense was completely unable to move the football in any sort of way even when he was on the field. While his 840 rushing yards through 12 games in 2012 aren’t horrible, the fact that McCoy was only able to find the end-zone twice on the ground could be a concern.
Of course the media is absolutely consumed with the Eagles’ three-man quarterback competition this season, which I guarantee veteran gun-slinger Michael Vick will win, so McCoy’s “prove the haters wrong” kind of revival campaign is easy to overlook as the 2013 season approaches quickly.
It might be a good thing for McCoy to not be the center of attention right now (which he has shown to prefer in recent years), so he can focus on his progression and take his time in learning first-year NFL head coach Chip Kelly’s brand new, wildly innovative offensive playbook.
While the Eagles’ QB battle may be stealing the spotlight right now, look for McCoy to be the real difference maker throughout the Birds’ 2013 comeback effort.
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