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Eagles overreact: message to NFC was loud and clear
Playoff games are usually fraught with unease as they are usually close by one point deep in the fourth quarter.
At halftime on Saturday, the Eagles’ lead in the divisional round match against the Giants was so huge that they decided to unload the dishwasher.
It was a start to finish for the G-Men on Nick Siriani’s team, and it was an incredibly impressive performance for Siriani’s first ever playoff victory. The return to form was great and the defense was locked in.
Let’s overreact to postseason brawls against division rivals:
1. The Eagles Should Fear No Team
The Eagles didn’t play on the Wild Card weekend. Much of the sports media and sports fan chatter has decided to fill the void with discussions of how the rest of the NFC will make it to the Super Bowl. The 49ers looked sharp, Daniel Jones played the best game of his career, and Dallas dominated Tom his miserable version of Brady.
But the Eagles showed Saturday night why no team should be afraid.
And we don’t just mean NFC, we mean NFL. The Eagles have been class in the league for the entire season, but last week it started to feel like many forgot why the Byrds took that vacation.
The Eagles have only lost once this year, with Jaylen Hurts starting at quarterback. Going undefeated is borderline impossible, especially in a 17-game season, but they’ve come pretty close to franchise QBs on the field.
Still, the impression of the Eagles for many in the football world was…whether it was a game Gardner Minshew helmed, or Week 18 when the Eagles coaching staff made a clear call while keeping Hearts safe. ?
Saturday’s game was a master class from start to finish on both sides of the ball.
Nick Siriani and Shane Steichen jumped in to overcome multiple defensive weaknesses for the Giants. Dallas Goedert (more on him later) was an early and frequent target. Miles Saunders, who was forgettable in the first half, was handed the ball repeatedly and holed regularly. This is at worst a top 3 violation if everyone is healthy. With so many weapons, defense has very few answers.
On the defensive side, the Eagles’ pass rush ignited the Giants’ offensive line. Daniel Jones & Co. ran out on the first drive of the game, gambled on fourth down, and Haason Reddick’s bull was shut down by his rush to set the tone for the night. James Bradbury reminded the New York front office of the error of its ways and distressed Daniel Jones and Giants fans alike.
Could the Eagles lose another game? Yes, in theory. But when it looks like they did Saturday night, this is far from the best team in the NFL.
2. Herson Reddick is NFC East’s best defender
It seems impossible for a man who finished tied for second in sacks in the NFL, but Hurson Reddick’s first season in Philadelphia was completely under the radar compared to his production. You can hear Nick Bosa, Micah Parsons, Chris Jones, Matthew Judon, Myles Garrett, and Max Crosby trumpeting as the superstar pass rusher, but for some reason Reddick doesn’t like him. has not received the recognition it deserves.
After Reddick exploded onto the scene in the first quarter of Saturday night’s primetime Giants demolition and was a threat all night long, perhaps he gets a little more respect now. Fans would never dream of putting Reddick in the Parsons tier of defenders.
Still… I’m sure Reddick is better.
Let’s take a quick look at the regular season stats.
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H. Reddick: 16.0 sacks, 26 QB hits, 11 tackles for loss, 5 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 3 passes defended
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M. Parsons: 13.5 sacks, 27 QB hits, 14 tackles for losses, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 3 pass defenses
These are very similar statistical lines!
Both sides can argue. I’m also very fond of Reddick’s edge bends and his relentless pursuit, as well as his consistency. Reddick had at least 1.0 sacks in his 11 games, while Parsons only had 8.
I’m not saying Parsons is overrated or not what you think he is. he rocks!
But while the league is sick of Parsons (thanks in no small part to the team he plays for), Reddick’s sleeping giants rule here in Philadelphia, and now he’s racking up awards and championships. I play the kind of football that I do. .
3. Dallas Gordart is a top three tight end in the NFL
Dallas Gordart missed a significant amount of time this year with injury, hiding the fact that he’s rapidly moving up the NFL’s tight end ranks.
Geddart’s impressive performances in all phases of Saturday night showed just how talented and valuable the 28-year-old tight end is. Gedelt, two future Hall of Famers behind Travis Kelce and George Kittle, is his third-best in the league as a TE.
The first two drives in the game really cemented what Goedert is good at.
On the first drive, he was the clear focus of the Eagles’ offense, seeing two targets on Jalen Hurts’ five pass attempts. His touchdown, the first score of the game. His reception was a simple case of a big man and a little man. It helps that the Eagles have two of his genuine WR1 options in AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, but Gedelt does this regardless.
On the second drive, Goedert definitely showed something important. I loved watching Zach Ertz crush enemy defenses in the air, but the former Eagles TE wasn’t a great blocker. That’s why he took some time to play regularly behind Brent Sellek early in his career, and why the Eagles were ready to move on as Gedelt improved.
Check out this Goedert block on the Eagles’ fake QB sneak.
yes. The combination of speed, agility, and impeccable technique is an invaluable commodity in this Eagles offense.
Gedelt has five catches for 58 yards and one touchdown, and should continue to feature in his game plan for the rest of the postseason. he’s really, really good.
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