Late in the Philadelphia Eagles' win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, with the Eagles clinging desperately to a 34-28 lead and needing to bleed the remaining 4:41 off the clock, starting running back and All-Pro jump-cut machine LeSean McCoy suddenly disappeared.
Not figuratively - literally.
After two short runs and a timeout by the Rams, McCoy exited the game, and backup Darren Sproles came on the field in his place.
After an initial 25-yard scamper by Sproles, the Eagles were forced to punt, but the defense bowed up, holding the Rams desperation drive to a single first down and sealing the win.
The question that many fans and media members are asking in the wake of the Eagles' eventual skin-of-their-teeth victory is; why did McCoy come out of the game at such a crucial juncture?
According to Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly, it was a completely normal occurrence that happens all the time - nothing to see here.
"I think he does that a lot," Kelly said Monday. "I just think that people are looking at that situation and saying it was a different situation. But when he has a couple carries, he's comfortable, I think, and we're all comfortable, that if he comes out and Darren goes in - I don't change playcalling-wise, and we don't change anything we're doing. So I don't think it was a big deal. It's just when he knows he needs a rest, he comes out for a play or two and Darren goes in and then we roll."
McCoy corroborated that account immediately after the game.
"Well, I actually took myself out for a couple of plays. Sproles and I work together . . . I touched the ball a lot today."
Sounds pretty legit.
The only problem is that McCoy then offered a very different account of why he wasn't in the game on that crucial fourth quarter drive while speaking on his 94WIP radio show on Monday night.
"They called me out. Duce pulled me out," McCoy said last night. "For the most part, if I'm tired, I come out. Then Sproles has his different packages, he has his plays to come in, but the majority of the time, it's just how I'm feeling."
Duce is Duce Staley, former Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers running back and current running backs coach for Philly. Part of his job description is to determine which running back goes into the game at which point.
"That was kind of the first time - well, every once in a while, Duce might pull me out and let Sproles get in. One thing about Duce, I trust his judgment. If he feels like I'm tired . . . He pulled me out for a reason. I didn't argue it, because I trust him. He's been with me here since Day 1. It worked out," McCoy said.
It did work out. But for McCoy, last season's leading rusher in the league, and a Philadelphia team that has struggled to run the ball consistently - or at all - this year, it has to be a bitter pill to swallow to not be the guy toting the rock at the game's most crucial juncture.
McCoy finished his day with 81 yards on 24 carries for an average of 3.4 yards per carry. On the season, he's averaging a paltry 2.9 yards a carry, while Sproles boasts a hefty 6.9 yard average.
Kelly attributed that to how teams play the run when McCoy is in the game and Sproles' stronger vision and awareness.
"You have to look at the individual carries to kind of make a decision on that," Kelly said. "Sometimes it's blocked up a little bit better and there's a little bit bigger of a hole . . . He's got a knack, though, of understanding; he's a real smart football player, and I said it since the day we got him here, he really is a talented, talented running back and has great vision and has a great understanding of what we are doing from a blocking-scheme standpoint."
Does this portend an increased role for Sproles and maybe a few less carries for McCoy?
Probably not yet, but if things continue on in similar fashion, and the Eagles can't get the run game back on track, they're going to have a difficult time winning as the weather gets colder, and it's going to get harder and harder to keep their Pro Bowl running back happy.
For the moment, it sounds like McCoy doesn't have a problem not being the bell cow back in this particular scenario. It remains to be seen if that - and his current low-level of production - continues.
