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Eagles Look To Lean On Ground And Pound Against Dolphins

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Eagles' rushing attack has finally been getting on track the past few weeks. Sunday seems to be a perfect time to keep the ground game going.

The Eagles will face one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL. The Miami Dolphins are ranked 31st out of 32 teams in stopping the run. Last week, Miami gave up 266 yards on the ground in a loss to Buffalo. Meanwhile, the Eagles put together a 172-yard rushing performance against Dallas. The formula seems simple for Sunday.

Run the football.

Lane Johnson wasn't hiding any secret strategy when asked if they were ready to run against the Dolphins.

"No doubt about that," said Johnson. "If we get our run game going early and we get the ball rolling, we're usually going to win. That's always the big test for us. I'm looking forward to getting some yards this week."

While the Eagles are likely dissecting the issues surrounding Miami's run defense, Running Back DeMarco Murray believes he and his teammates will be in for a tough test. The Dolphins still have talent on their defense, which includes Defensive Lineman Ndamukong Suh.

"He's probably one of the best defensive tackles in the league," Murray said. "That defense and that coach have a lot of pride about that organization. I don't think they're going to fold or just let us come in and do what we want. It's going to be a challenge."

Early in the year, the Eagles running game was almost non-existent. The low point was a seven-yard output in a loss to Dallas in week two. Now that the Eagles are running the ball better, Johnson says the entire offense becomes more efficient.

"It's not a good feeling when you keep seeing guys get hit in the backfield," said Johnson. "That puts Chip in a difficult position calling plays. It puts the line in a difficult position because the defensive lineman know we're going to throw the ball 40 to 50 times. It's everything to us."

After a 1-3 start, the Eagles have won three of their last four. The schedule seems favorable over the next three weeks with games against Miami, Tampa Bay and Detroit. However, Murray insists the Eagles are not looking past Miami despite the leaks in the Dolphins' run defense.

"It's one game at a time," Murray said. "We're focused on the Dolphins. We can't look past these guys. Obviously, their offense is pretty explosive. We know we've got our hands full, but we can't look down the road."

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