Pederson quietly confident in Eagles running game

Throughout the summer, running back depth never seemed to concern Eagles coach Doug Pederson. Even with Ryan Mathews' injury history and Darren Sproles' age and little meaningful experience between Kenjon Barner and Wendell Smallwood, Pederson expressed confidence in the group.

And it never seemed to be the confidence rooted in saying the right thing publicly. Rather, it was the confidence that came from knowing more than those that asked the question.

The Eagles can improve their running game when they return from the bye next week - they average just 3.7 yards per carry - but they are pleased with the production from Barner and Smallwood, who are proving that the team has depth at the position and could force Pederson to get them on the field more going forward.

"Everybody is a little different runner," Pederson said. "Wendell did an excellent job between the tackles . . . sort of downhill. Kenjon off tackle. . . . So we'll still keep the rotation the same. We're not going to change much that way. Just want to get everybody in the football game."

Smallwood has 20 carries for 96 yards and one touchdown, most coming in a 79-yard performance in Sunday's win over the Steelers. Barner has 14 carries for 86 yards. He's rushed for 10+ yards on 28.6 percent of his carries.

Mathews and Sproles, the two players atop the depth chart, need to improve their rushing production. Mathews, who has been nursing an injured ankle, had 33 carries for 104 yards and three touchdowns. Sproles has 19 carries for 51 yards, but he's been a key player in the receiving game.

Pederson said Mathews will remain the starter when he's healthy, and Mathews' track record warrants the endorsement. The former first-round pick has a career average of 4.4 yards per carry and has twice topped 1,000 yards in a season in six years, but his injury history is what prompted the questions about depth in the first place.

"When Ryan is healthy, he's the guy," Pederson said.

Smallwood is the best candidate to be a lead running back if Mathews is absent or were to ever have his role diminished. The 2016 fifth-round pick is 5-foot-10 and 208 pounds and led the Big 12 in rushing last season with West Virginia. He was tied for the nation's lead in 10+ yard rushes with Alabama's Derrick Henry and LSU's Leonard Fournette, exclusive company that shows Smallwood's explosive ability.

However, he was limited throughout much of the summer - first with a quadriceps injury, and then with a concussion. He had only two preseason carries, so there was little opportunity to form a meaningful evaluation of how he'll fit with the team. That was why his performance on Sunday was so significant - especially with how he handled the volume.

"He's the same type of runner that we felt he was coming out of college and what we saw in preseason," Pederson said. "He's a big, powerful guy. He's a downhill guy. He's a one-cut runner. He did a great job for us."

Smallwood said after the game that Pederson continuing to call his number gave him an infusion of confidence. He had been waiting since last December to get meaningful rushes again, and his acceleration through holes in the line is the type of skill that can help lead to big rushes.

"It just felt good to finally get into a flow, get comfortable with the game and not be out there like . . . a deer out there in the headlights," Smallwood said.

Center Jason Kelce's favorite play that Smallwood made came in the fourth quarter, when Smallwood ran a draw play to the outside past the chains, but he fell to the ground before the sideline to keep the clock moving. Kelce said it was a play that rookies don't often make.

"A lot of times those kind of go unnoticed," Kelce said. "But in our world, especially in clock management, even though the score was pretty much out of reach at the time, let's say it's a closer game, that is a big play for us."

Barner, 26, has shed any notion that his connection to Chip Kelly helped with his roster spot. Even though he starred at Oregon under Kelly and was acquired in a trade before the 2014 season, Barner has earned the approval of Pederson and this staff. At 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, he has learned from Sproles' mentorship and offers the Eagles another outside running threat. He is also a good complement to Smallwood, giving the Eagles balance in the backfield.

That's what Pederson wants. While pledging confidence in the group this summer, he also made allusions to the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs running backs. After Pro Bowler Jamaal Charles suffered a season-ending injury, the Chiefs running game still thrived with reserves Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware.

Both players topped 400 rushing yards on the season, giving the Chiefs the NFL's sixth-ranked rushing offense. The Eagles are currently 10th in the NFL in rushing. With more depth than it seemed entering the year, those numbers can continue to improve.

"It's a good to have that kind of depth that the position with as many touches collectively as a group they are going to get each game and the wear and tear on that position," Pederson said. "It's great to get that many guys in the game."

zberman@phillynews.com

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