What To Watch For From The NFL’s Last Undefeated Team

Even before Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni took the podium following Philly’s 29-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miles Sanders had staked a claim for the kind of stardom his talent has long predicted, while his health has often curtailed.

27 carries. 134 yards. Two touchdowns. Productive, dangerous, and most of all, a volume threat. Still, it was striking to hear Sirianni put it so simply:

“Miles Sanders is our No.1 back, there is no question about it,” Sirianni said Sunday.

While there are almost too many positive indicators to list about Philadelphia’s 4-0 start — a run no other NFL team has matched — the best two may be the emergence of Jalen Hurts as a franchise quarterback and, in Week 4, a runner to match in Sanders.

“I think Miles ran really hard today,” Hurts said of his teammate. “Miles protected the ball. Everybody protected the ball. He made plays. You see him running up the diagonal route, cutting across the field. He played angry in my opinion. He played with a purpose this afternoon. He deserves it. He had a hell of a game.”

What will be fascinating, of course, the difference between a breakout and a new normal, is simple: can Sanders do it again?

He’ll face a formidable opponent versus the run in the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday, a team that’s allowed just 348 yards on the ground all season, good for fifth-best in the NFL.

“It’s a good group up front,” Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen told reporters on Tuesday. “[Cardinals DE J.J.] Watt still leads that crew. [Cardinals DT Zach] Allen is playing good football right now. [Cardinals LB Isaiah] Simmons, the linebacker they got from Clemson, he can run around. It’s a really good group. They’re very multiple in what they do. Defensively they give you a lot of different looks that we’ve got to be prepared for. But it’ll be a good challenge for us, one we’re looking forward to.”

And Steichen has every confidence that Sanders is up to the challenge.

“I think he’s continuing to do what he does,” Steichen said. “He had a heck of a game. I think he averaged five yards a pop, and then the biggest thing was – the most thing I was pleased with with him and the rest of the offense was the ball security. The ball security in that game was at a premium. I know we had the one interception, but besides that did not have any fumbles in that situation, in that game with that weather. That’s a testament to the guys understanding how ball security is that important. We talk about it more than anyplace I’ve ever talked about it here. It is all day, every day. It’s all about the ball.”

Other things to keep an eye on for the Eagles on Sunday:

Jake Elliott, the team’s long-tenured kicker, was injured last week and did not practice again on Thursday.

“Yeah, still hopeful that all these guys can play. We’re taking it day by day, though. You’ll have an injury report later today,” Sirianni said on Wednesday. Each of the injury reports that followed had Elliott inactive.

Cameron Dicker, signed to the practice squad, would likely be Elliott’s replacement if he can’t go on Sunday, and Adam Schefter reports that is the plan for the Eagles.

And something to watch for: Dicker is also a punter, and Arryn Siposs hasn’t been impressive over the first four games in Philadelphia.

“Again, we don’t want any of those touchbacks right there in the plus 50,” Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay told reporters Tuesday. “In terms of that field punt. The second one we’d like to get [Jacksonville Jaguars WR Jamal] Agnew down real quick. He gave us an opportunity inside the 10 to make a play. Agnew ran around a little bit right there. We’ve got to make the play. We had some guys down there, and if you ask the guys, they were a little upset about they let a guy run 30 yards for eight yards.”

It will be interesting to see whether the Eagles give Dicker an opportunity to punt as well.