Kenny Gainwell Impacting Offense, Could be X-Factor vs. 49ers

The Eagles RB has come on strong the last six weeks after adjusting to his third-down role and putting up 112 yards and one TD in a divisional-round win over the Giants

PHILADELPHIA - It wasn’t a good summer for Kenny Gainwell.

There were too many dropped passes. Too many mental mistakes, one of which drew the ire of head coach Nick Sirianni during one of August’s joint practices against the Cleveland Browns.

It’s winter now, and, like the seasons, the Eagles running back has changed.

He has found his footing over the last couple of months and, in the 38-7 divisional playoff win over the New York Giants last Saturday, he put up the first 100-yard rushing game of his short career.

He finished with 112, including a 35-yard TD run that capped the scoring against New York.

“I’m extremely happy for him, first 100-yard rushing in a playoff game is big,” said Miles Sanders, who put up 90 of the team’s 268 against New York.

“I don’t think he knows how big that is, but I’m going to make sure he knows. I’m proud of him. He runs hard, catches the ball well and he’s helping us be better all around, too.”

That’s the thing about Gainwell, he’s pretty even-keeled and adjusting to being the team’s third-down back.

“It’s been kind of up and down,” he said. “Everybody knows I’m a third-down back, I come in on third down, so every opportunity I get to go out there and help the team out, I’m very grateful for.”

Even during summer's trials and tribulations, Gainwell just kept his head down and kept on working.

Now. the cold weather has moved in and Gainwell has moved on.

In his first 11 games, he had 10 catches for 57 yards. In his last six, he has 13 for 112, including

“It comes from a lot of hard work in the offseason,” he said. “I did everything I could to make sure I could come into a game like (the divisional playoff vs. the Giants) and do all I can to be the best I can and run hard. It all goes to my offseason work and trusting what I do so I can do what I do.”

Gainwell’s emergence comes at a good time, obviously, as the Eagles prepare to play the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

The 49ers have the number one-ranked run defense in the NFL, but the Eagles have arguably the best offensive line and the league’s fifth-ranked rushing offense, averaging nearly 150 yards per game.

The Eagles are going to have to run the ball effectively enough to open the passing game, especially the deep passing game.

Sanders gets the bulk of the work, but Boston Scott and Gainwell are getting their share of touches as the season has gone along.

Gainwell has put himself in a position to perhaps even be an X-factor in the title game, should the Eagles use the short passing game as an extension of the run game.

“I think it's just mixing those guys in, and obviously the more you play, I talk about this all the time, the more you play, the more you see, and the more you get comfortable with things, and Kenny is running hard right now,” said offensive coordinator Shane Steichen on Tuesday. “The offensive line is doing a great job blocking for him, and he's doing a really good job.”

In his final season at Memphis in 2019, before opting to sit out 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gainwell ran 231 times for 1,459 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He’s had just 121 rushes in two seasons with the Eagles but is adjusting and coming on strong.

“I think it's a feel thing, and (Running Backs/Assistant Head Coach) Jemal (Singleton), we talk about it throughout the week, just getting those guys rotated in and out, and all the stables of backs have been incredible,” said Steichen. 

“Kenny was running hard there and obviously he popped a big one at the end (against the Giants), popped another third-down run. He was running hard, and he played well, and so did Miles.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.