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Two Eagles backs have questions; McCoy is ready

The Eagles might have all three of their running backs available for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, or they might have only one. That's the uncertainty they face with Darren Sproles and Chris Polk on the injury report.

Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. (Tom Gralish/Staff Photographer)
Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. (Tom Gralish/Staff Photographer)Read more

The Eagles might have all three of their running backs available for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, or they might have only one. That's the uncertainty they face with Darren Sproles and Chris Polk on the injury report.

But the healthy running back is the one they need most: LeSean McCoy, who is coming off his best game of the season.

"With Darren or with Chris, I still get a lot of loads of carries, and I play a lot," McCoy said after practice Wednesday. "Hopefully we get the guys healthy. . . . I'd love to have them, though, especially Darren. I think he takes a dimension in the offense, with the special things he can do running the ball, catching the ball in different routes."

Sproles was limited Wednesday with a knee injury, although he was hopeful that he could play. Polk was a full participant with a hamstring injury, an indication that he will be in the lineup barring a setback.

The fact that the Eagles have not made a move could be a good sign. They have the option of promoting Matthew Tucker from the practice squad later in the week. Tucker is familiar with the Eagles scheme and spent most of last season on the roster.

"I don't know what to expect this weekend," offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. "It's hard to predict."

The loss of Sproles would affect the offense, as McCoy pointed out. Polk is a talented runner, but he's different from Sproles. Polk would fit in well as a change-of-pace runner to spell McCoy. It's unlikely he can simulate the unique ways the Eagles use Sproles.

"He's still one of the best players in football," Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said of Sproles. "Whether it be punt returns, running, [receiving], he can hit a home run on any play."

Regardless of whether Sproles plays, the Eagles need sustained production from McCoy. He is coming off his two highest yardage outputs of the season, and his 149-yard effort in Week 6 against the New York Giants was a flashback to the 2013 McCoy.

One change the Eagles made was running more plays from under center. McCoy rushed 13 times for 75 yards when the Eagles were not in their customary shotgun formation, tallying two gains of 18 yards and a gain of 15 yards to boost those numbers.

McCoy led the NFL in rushing last season with an offense that was mostly in the shotgun - he rushed for 82 percent of his yards last season out of the gun - but he said Wednesday he prefers running when the team is lined up under center.

"What makes me a good back is vision," McCoy said. "Under center, I'm about 71/2 yards deep, so I can see everything happen."

McCoy said that in the shotgun, he is running sideways, so pressure can knock him off his course. He believes he anticipates his cuts better when he lines up deeper.

The Eagles are mostly a shotgun team. They have run more than 88 percent of their plays out of the shotgun this season, with a noticeable change in the Giants game. Coach Chip Kelly said it allowed them to change the path of the running back. It also helped against some of the stunts from the Giants' defensive front.

The Cardinals pose perhaps the Eagles' toughest threat against the run this season. They have the top-ranked rushing defense, keeping opponents to 72.3 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry. They have not allowed a rush of more than 20 yards. They have played with a lead often this season, which affects the statistics, and they have not faced many of the top running backs. But they still pose a significant challenge.

One reason is that the Cardinals trust their cornerbacks in man-to-man coverage and can crowd the box to complement different looks with the defensive front. McCoy also said the Cardinals like to use run blitzes and "send guys you think they can't." The Eagles' tempo can help combat Arizona's defense.

The Eagles must prepare for that defense with uncertainty about who will back up McCoy. The good news is that he will be in the lineup.

@ZBerm