By Jordan Long
On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants 27-24 on a 61-yard field goal by kicker Jake Elliott just as time expired. During the win, running back and punt returner Darren Sproles suffered an ACL tear and broken arm. It occurred in the first half. Sproles is done for the year with these injuries.
Sproles was the Eagles’ punt returner and appeared occasionally at running back. This season teams avoided punting to him because Sproles’ speed allows him to miss the defenders and take it all the way back for a touchdown. He only had one return for 10 yards, otherwise he had 5 fair catches. The Eagles trusted him because he didn’t fumble.
The Eagles put him in the backfield to give LeGarrette Blount a chance to rest on the sidelines. Sproles catches passes out in the open field, runs the ball, and blocks for quarterback Carson Wentz. This season Sproles had 61 yards on the ground but his average yards per rush was 4.1. When he went out for passes, he had a total of 73 yards receiving.
This is a big loss for them. On offense, the Eagles will need to rely on Wendell Smallwood. He has shown he can be the backup to Blount. He has rushed for 79 yards. The part of his game Smallwood needs to improve on is his pass catching. This season he only has 11 yards receiving. That is not going to replace Sproles.
On the punt returns, Nelson Agholor will be the return man. He is the return specialist on kickoffs but has never been the punt returner. Agholor must be able to call for the fair catch and not fumble the football. When Agholor has the chance to return it, hopefully he gains some yards to give the Eagles field position. If he fumbles, the Eagles must try somebody else as the punt returner.
The Eagles know how great of a loss Sproles is on offense and special teams. They have players to replace him. If they don’t like who they have, the Eagles may need to look for another player who can play special teams and running back.
How will the Philadelphia Eagles replace Darren Sproles on offense and special teams?
Leave a Reply