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Domo: Smallwood could give Eagles' run game a boost

WE HAVE reached that fun point in the preseason where fans and the media, underwhelmed by what they've seen from the hometown team in training camp and the first two exhibition games, start going all Peggy Lee (is that all there is?) on us.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood in action during practice at NFL football training camp, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood in action during practice at NFL football training camp, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, in Philadelphia.Read more(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

WE HAVE reached that fun point in the preseason where fans and the media, underwhelmed by what they've seen from the hometown team in training camp and the first two exhibition games, start going all Peggy Lee (is that all there is?) on us.

You're seeing a lot of that right now regarding the Eagles' running backs, who have averaged only 3.4 yards per carry in their first two preseason games, after finishing 21st in the NFL in yards per attempt a year ago.

With the Sept. 11 season opener against Cleveland just 2 1/2 weeks away, their top three running backs currently are a guy who has averaged only nine carries a game the last two years and has managed to play a full season only once in his career (Ryan Mathews), an undersized 33-year-old guy who is expected to be used a lot more as a pass-catcher than as a runner (Darren Sproles), and another little guy with a grand total of 34 career carries (Kenjon Barner).

Doug Pederson's go-to response when he's asked whether he can win with this group of running backs is to reference last year's Kansas City Chiefs, who finished sixth in the league in rushing and third in yards per attempt with no-names Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware lugging the ball after Jamaal Charles got hurt in the fifth game of the season. Before last season, West and Ware had three combined NFL rushing attempts.

"I just go back to our days in Kansas City when we had Jamaal there," he said. "He was a very explosive guy. At the same time, we took a couple of young players. (After Charles got hurt last year), they got the majority of the work and played well.

"I like where we're at at the running back position. We'll see as it goes. It's hard to say that one guy is going to get more touches than the other. Because I think they're all dynamic in their own way."

The Eagles' run game could get a needed lift Saturday when rookie Wendell Smallwood makes his NFL debut against the Colts. The team has high hopes for the fifth-round pick out of West Virginia, who led the Big 12 in rushing last season with 1,519 yards.

The 5-10, 208-pound running back missed the Eagles' first two preseason games after suffering a quadriceps injury five days into training camp. He returned to practice last week and had expected to play against the Steelers, but was a last-minute scratch.

"The trainers and the coaches, they didn't feel like I had my last burst," Smallwood said. "I didn't feel like I was up to full speed, either. I was like, at 85 percent running.

"I just didn't have that last gear. They said there was no need to rush it. But this week, I'm back to full speed."

Pederson plans to play his starters the entire first half Saturday and probably a series or two in the third quarter. He said Smallwood will get some work with the "ones."

"He will get a good look," Pederson said. "This is his first opportunity to play. So we want to make sure he's ready to go. We're going to be smart with him, but we definitely want to see him get some work in the first half (with the starters)."

The starters played the entire first half last week against Pittsburgh, running the ball only six times for 19 yards. Mathews had only 18 yards on five carries.

"Pittsburgh traditionally has one of the best run defenses in the NFL," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. "They have been for years.

"But I feel very strong about the outlook of our run game. I don't want to get too caught up with just one performance where we didn't quite get enough touches in the run game as we could."

Mathews is an effective one-cut runner with a 4.5-yard-per-carry career average. But he has had durability issues, including last year, when he missed three games with a concussion, and the previous year, when he missed 10 games with a knee injury. He's never been a workhorse back. He's had 18 or more carries in only 20 of 73 career games.

Sproles isn't expected to be used very much as a ballcarrier. His real value to the offense will be as a receiver.

Barner has looked good in camp and the preseason, averaging 5.8 yards per carry in the first two games. But he's still largely an unknown commodity.

Which is why the Eagles really need Smallwood to step in and make an immediate contribution. But the practice and playing time he missed with the quad injury didn't help him. If it turns out he's not ready, the Eagles may have to consider bringing in another running back after teams make their cuts.

"It's a little bit harder with all of the time that he's missed to evaluate (him)," Reich said. "With a back and a runner, you just want to see him get the ball in his hands and see what he can do in traffic inside. See his patience, his vision.

"But there's nothing you can do about it as a coach. You can't get too frustrated. Injuries are a part of the game. Those guys take a lot of hits, so on and so forth. So we have to be smart with them and continue that evaluation process and let him grow."

Smallwood said he tried to stay on top of things while he was sidelined with the quad injury. But he acknowledged that mental reps can't take the place of live game and practice reps.

"I can watch the film and study, but I can't really get those live game reps," he said. "I kind of need those."

Smallwood is a good receiver, which is mandatory in an offense like Pederson's that throws to the backs a lot. He also must be able to pass-block. The jury's still out on that part of his game. He didn't have to do it much at West Virginia.

"I think I've progressed very well with it, just learning the techniques and learning the system and all the calls the line has," he said. "I think I've picked it up. (Running backs coach) Duce (Staley) throws random questions at me. I'm right on time with him. So I think I'm doing very well in that area."

Mathews said he has been very impressed by Smallwood.

"Watching him through the offseason and everything, he's explosive," he said. "He's a bigger back, like me. He's going to be good.

"I tell the o-line and everybody that all the time. He's going to be someone to watch at the beginning of the season. He goes about things the right way. He's been able to handle everything that's been brought to him. He's going to have fun."

@Pdomo Blog: ph.ly/Eagletarian.com