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McCoy Defends Legacy As Emmitt Smith Debate Heats Up
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- McCoy Defends Legacy As Emmitt Smith Debate Heats Up
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
LeSean McCoy fired back at critics who claim Emmitt Smith is the undisputed greatest running back ever. The former Eagles star insists that respect for legends does not mean silence on his own greatness. McCoy told Yahoo Sports that while Smith holds the records, the numbers do not tell the whole story of a back's value. He pointed out that he was not watching Smith highlights to get pumped before games.
Irvin Draws the Line
Michael Irvin made his stance clear during the heated exchange. The Hall of Famer believes Smith was on a different level entirely. Irvin claimed that Smith was "greatness" while calling McCoy just "great." He admitted McCoy was more elusive in the open field but argued Smith's durability won more games. Irvin noted that Smith leads all running backs with 18,355 career rushing yards. McCoy sits far behind in 23rd position with 11,102 yards. The debate gets personal when legends like Irvin weigh in on the history books.
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Current Eagles Feel the Pain
While legends argue over the past, the current team struggles in the present. The Eagles are in the middle of a six-game losing streak, their worst run in 14 years. They just lost to the Washington Commanders 27-10 on Sunday, Nov. 1. Former quarterback Nick Foles went on his podcast to say the team has something wrong internally. Foles stated, "This is probably gonna go viral, but I have to say it, like, this team has something wrong." Head coach Nick Sirianni dismissed the comments during a radio appearance, saying Foles is not in the locker room. The offense ranks last in the NFL with 2,122 total yards this season.
Old Friends Defend Each Other
Super Bowl champion Darius Slay Jr. jumped into the conversation to back McCoy. Slay wrote on X that it is not a crime to think a player was better than the old guards. He wrote, "but it's not a crime to think or kno u was a better player than the OG's." Jason Kelce also spoke up, though about a different issue involving former offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. Kelce said a report that players wanted Stoutland gone upset him. He told 94WIP, "That one very much upset me," adding that the decision came from the building, not the players. The Eagles face the New York Giants on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field.
