Chip Kelly says LeSean McCoy took himself out late in the fourth quarter

When the Philadelphia Eagles needed some first downs to secure a win on Sunday, LeSean McCoy felt Darren Sproles was the better option to get it done.

That’s what Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. With less than four minutes left and the Eagles trying to hold off the surging St. Louis Rams, who had cut Philadelphia’s lead to 34-28, Sproles ran four straight times. The fourth run came up short of a first down and the Eagles punted right after the two-minute warning. The defense got a stop and preserved the win.

The heavy use of Sproles that late in the game was strange, considering McCoy was arguably the NFL’s best running back last season, but Kelly said McCoy took himself out.

“LeSean took himself out,” Chip Kelly said on the 94WIP Morning Show, via the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia. “He rotates and he knows Sproles can play. I think we have two marquee running backs. I don’t change how we call things. I don’t do anything differently when Darren is in the game. I think Darren had seven carries, you know, 51 yards averaged 7.3 yards a carry. So, I think he’s pretty good in what we do.”

You can view it as McCoy being an unselfish teammate. Sproles ran the ball better on Sunday, so maybe McCoy felt that Sproles was the best man for the job in that moment. Or perhaps Kelly misinterpreted what happened, or maybe McCoy was a little banged up before those plays.

Whatever the case, it’s strange to see McCoy giving way to anyone, during what is becoming a down season for the two-time All-Pro. McCoy had just 81 yards on 24 carries against the Rams (Sproles had 51 yards on seven attempts) and has just 273 yards with a 2.9-yard average through five games this season. He has just one touchdown and the explosive back doesn’t have a run longer than 21 yards, which is unusual for him. Part of that is the injury and suspension issues along the offensive line. No matter the reasons, McCoy is struggling.

It’s odd to see McCoy unable to get anything going, and it’s even odder to hear his coach say that he took himself out during a key moment in Sunday’s game.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab