McCoy Running For Running's Sake

To us, the best aspect of LeSean McCoy's rushing game this season (he is averaging a league-best 107.7 yards a game), is that he is being counted on less as a receiver.

The Andy Reid/Brian Westbrook-induced mentality still exists that receiving yards are just as important as rushing yards. But since receivers are in defenseless situations more often that running backs being handed the ball (and therefore susceptible to reckless defensive backs for instance), we'd be happy to see McCoy — who might just be the best runner in the league at this moment — have the pill handed to him each time. And that appears to be the case this year.

After catching a team-high 78 passes last season (5.2 a game), he is down to just over 3 a game this season (23 in 7 games). And nearly 85% of his yards have come on the ground.

By contrast, Westbook never earned more than 70% of his yards rushing. And the season (2005) he split his yards rushing and receiving (617/616), he missed four games due to injury.

Here are how McCoy and Westbrook's yards break down as Eagles: