The Nick Sirianni Effect
2018 – Marlon Mack 195 carries (12 games / 16.3 attempts) with 4th best run blocking line
2019 – Marlon Mack 247 carries (9th / 17.6 attempts) with 12th best run blocking
2020 – Jonathan Taylor 232 carries (8th / 15.5 attempts) with 20th best run blocking
2021 – Miles Sanders 137 carries (12 games / 11.4 attempts) with 4th best run blocking
2022 – Miles Sanders 259 carries (8th / 15.2 attempts) with 6th best run blocking
Nick Sirianni’s offenses have four years of averaging more than the average number of carries listed above, but 2018-2021 were 16-game averages.
Miles Sanders’ 2022 season was a career year in both attempts and yards, but his 15.2 attempts per game are inflated a bit due to three games over 20 carries and one of those being 27. If you take out those three outliers, Sanders averaged 13.57 attempts per game. Interesting average there!
In Mack’s 2019 season, his best in his career, he had four games (out of 14 played) with over 20 carries. The other ten’s average? 13.3.
If Sirianni’s running backs aren’t being “bell cows”, they’re averaging close to the same amount of attempts as you saw above.
So what does that mean for the Eagles and Bijan Robinson?
Bijan Robinson and Sirianni = Future BFFs
In 2022, Bijan Robinson carried the ball 20+ times in all but three games. His 16.5 attempts per game was a big jump from the 11.3 in 2021. Those worries about “tread on the tires” for a first round running back should feel some peace knowing that Robinson would be joining a head coach that knows how to utilize his running backs to the best of their ability and be the healthiest of their careers.
Bijan Robinson in Philadelphia would be a combination of the situation that Ezekiel Elliott found himself going to in 2016 and the low average of attempts we calculated in the last section. While we also saw some lines rank highly prior to drafting the running back only to tank in the ranks the following year or the year after, do you really think the Eagles’ offensive line has any chance of doing that under Jeff Stoutland?
While taking a running back in the first round, let alone 10th overall, has its risks, those risks are minimal in Philadelphia.
Would you take Bijan Robinson at 10? Let us know in the comments!
Photo by Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire
