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Phil Sheridan lives in the distant past

ESPN Philadelphia Eagles reporter Phil Sheridan obviously hates quarterback Michael Vick more than vegetarians hate KFC, but he needs to get with the times.

In an article he released the other day, entitled, "Reality check on Eagles' QB situation," he wrote this:

"The Eagles' running game relies on Vick to make it go (what he's heard others say).

Let's get real here. If a running game relies on the quarterback, it isn't a very good running game. Period.

The Eagles have a good running game with LeSean McCoy seeking space behind an extremely good run-blocking offensive line.

'When Nick was in there playing in the preseason, we were very effective running the football,' offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said.

The Giants were able to shut McCoy down after Foles came into Sunday's game. But that had more to do with matchup problems along the line than with the identity of the quarterback. Foles doesn't scare anyone as a runner, but that doesn't mean the Eagles' running game can't succeed when he's in there.

Bottom line: If your run game relies on yards put up by the quarterback, it isn't a very good running game."

Let's get real here for a second, Phil. While the Eagles run game can be effective with Nick Foles in at quarterback, it is partially reliant on Michael Vick's running capability to be as effective as it is. Therefore, it won't be as effective with Foles in at quarterback. This also doesn't mean a team's running game isn't solid. What year is this again? Ah, 2013. Like in college, the dual-threat quarterback is becoming more prominent in the NFL, because it provides more flexibility on playcalling, allows for improvisation when plays break down, and opens bigger holes more consistently in the running game.

The six fastest starting quarterbacks in the NFL right now are as follows (in random order): Michael Vick (Philadelphia), Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco), Terrell Pryor (Oakland), Russell Wilson (Seattle), Cam Newton (Carolina), and Robert Griffin III (Washington). Griffin's knee still isn't back to 100%, so I'll focus on the other five quarterbacks.

Through week 5, here are how those before-mentioned teams have fared in rushing yards per game:

1. Philadelphia: 186.6 ypg

2. Seattle: 159.0 ypg

6. San Francisco: 140.2 ypg

7. Carolina: 137.0 ypg

9. Oakland: 130.8 ypg (Pryor even missed a start)

I don't think it can be any coincidence that five of the top ten rushing offenses this season are led by the five fastest starting quarterbacks. LeSean McCoy is a great running back with any quarterback behind center, but when Foles starts, all eyes will be on him in the running game. When Vick starts, defenders will have to keep an eye on him as well, which provides McCoy with much more room to work when he gets the ball in his hands. A fleet-footed quarterback isn't essential to a good running game, but it sure can help, as the before-mentioned numbers should illustrate. Period.

http://espn.go.com/blog/philadelphia-eagles/post/_/id/1003/reality-check-on-eagles-qb-situation?ex_cid=espnapi_public

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/rushing/sort/rushingYardsPerGame

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