Sanders Sets Career Rushing Mark as Eagles' Depleted Offensive Line Holds Up in Rain to Beat Jaguars

Miles Sanders carried the ball more than he ever has in the NFL on Sunday, and the Philadelphia Eagles needed every bit of it. Playing in the remnants of Hurricane Ian, the team rallied from an early 14-point deficit to beat Doug Pederson's Jacksonville Jaguars, 29-21, and move to 4-0.

Sanders rushed 27 times for 134 yards, both career highs in the NFL for the fourth-year running back. He scored two rushing touchdowns, his most in two seasons, and added two catches for 22 yards. Asked about the workload, he said it felt good and that he had not even noticed the carry count. He did hit 27 carries once before, for Penn State against Rutgers in 2018.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts praised his teammate's effort. "He played angry in my opinion," Hurts said, adding that Sanders "played with a purpose" and deserved the day he had.

The start gave little hint of what was coming. Sanders gained just 9 yards on his first six carries, Hurts threw a pick-six, and the Jaguars drove 80 yards in eight plays to build a 14-0 first-quarter lead. Hurts said no one panicked and that there was no dramatic moment in the huddle.

Hurts began the comeback with a slant to receiver A.J. Brown and a screen to tight end Dallas Goedert. His legs then produced the first score, a 13-yard scramble on third down at the Jacksonville 16 followed by a 3-yard fourth-down plunge that drew a heavy hit. On the next touchdown drive, the offensive line began opening lanes and Sanders ran five times for 40 yards, finishing with a 10-yard score. Sanders said the staff moved away from outside zone runs early in favor of a more downhill approach mixed with mid-zone and inside-zone plays.

The line did that against injuries. Left tackle Jordan Mailata left early with a shoulder injury, and right guard Isaac Seumalo exited in the second half with an ankle injury. Replacements Jack Driscoll and Sua Opeta kept the unit performing. Coach Nick Sirianni said he would take his line over any in the league, calling the group gritty, tough and physical. Pederson, who got a warm ovation in his return to Philadelphia, said he knows how the line's players are coached.

The wet conditions, with driving rain and 15-mph winds, favored the ground game, and the Eagles finished with 50 rushes for 210 yards, their most since a game against the Saints last season. Ball security mattered as well. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence lost the ball on a fourth down to Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, and Jacksonville had four lost fumbles and an interception in all. Center Jason Kelce called the conditions a train wreck for snapping and said he was anxious each time he handled the ball. Philadelphia's lone fumble came when Kelce snapped before Hurts was ready, and Sanders recovered it.

Kenneth Gainwell's 10-yard run put the Eagles up 20-14 at halftime, and the third quarter was scoreless. A 35-yard run by Sanders late in that period set up a Jake Elliott field goal early in the fourth, giving Philadelphia a two-score lead. Right tackle Lane Johnson, still shivering at his locker afterward, said linemen can be knocked down quickly if they lose focus.

Sanders is averaging 18 carries a game, six more than in his first three seasons, though his contract expires this offseason and his future is unsettled. Sirianni left no doubt about the present: "Miles Sanders is our No. 1 back," he said.