By Max Harper
After a month and a half of taking criticism for not running the ball and depending almost entirely on an untested quarterback:
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni finally gave in and ran the ball yesterday.
A lot.
And the Eagles won easily.
So, the question this Monday morning after a 44-6 blowout of the winless Lions is:
Has Sirianni learned his lesson or will he revert next week against the Chargers at the Linc to his pass-happy mentality?
Boston Scott and Jordan Howard each had two touchdowns on the ground as the now-3-5 Birds ran over the 0-8 Lions in Detroit.
“We were able to push some guys around up front,” coach Sirianni said.
The Eagles ended a two-game losing streak with their most lopsided win on the road since beating the St. Louis Cardinals by 42 points in 1981.
With Miles Sanders on injured reserve with an ankle injury, Scott and Howard had 12 carries each and combined for 117 yards rushing combined. Scott had just seven carries this season before Sunday and Jordan made his season debut after being promoted from the practice squad. They became the first pair of Eagles to run for multiple touchdowns in the same game since 1980.
“Whenever that opportunity knocks, you got to step up,” Scott said. “Me and Jordan motivated each other during the time leading up to this moment.”
Scott broke a scoreless tie late in the first period with a 1-yard run and and Howard’s 4-yard run late in the second quarter put Philadelphia up 17-0. They each had a short touchdown run in the third quarter.
Just to make the setback sting a little more for the Lions and their fans, former Detroit cornerback Darius Slay scooped up D’Andre Swift’s fumble that was forced by Detroit native Avonte Maddox and returned it 33 yards make it 38-0 late in the third.
“It was a blessing,” Slay wrote in a text message after the game. “I appreciate how the fans shouted me out and showed major love.”
Goff was sacked a season-high five times and finished 23 of 34 for 222 yards. The sixth-year quarterback and many of his teammates made mistakes, including when he threw a ball away in the third quarter on fourth down instead of throwing toward a receiver with nothing to lose.
