The Huge Image: These Eagles' Tremendous Bowl Hopes Relaxation on Their Protection

[ad_1] Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, N.Y.) — There have been method too many moments the place the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense has simply fully disappeared this season, generally on the worst potential occasions. Method too typically they’ve inexplicably shut down, leaving their protection to bail them out.

Possibly that’s an indication of hassle for the defending champs with the beginning of the playoffs simply two weeks away, however that’s not the best way veteran linebacker Brandon Graham sees it. He sees it as an indication of a "battle-tested" protection, prepared for something, towards anybody.

And he sees a protection that he believes is beginning to appear like it is able to carrying the Eagles on yet one more Tremendous Bowl run.

"I do. I actually do," Graham informed me. "I feel that we’re constructing in the direction of that. And immediately was an awesome begin."

It wasn’t precisely the "begin," as a result of the Eagles’ protection has been nice for weeks, however what they did towards the Buffalo Payments on Sunday was notably encouraging. As a result of with out their principally stellar efficiency, the Eagles would not have come near beating the Payments 13-12. With out the protection they won't have been on this recreation in any respect.

And by no means thoughts that they gave up two fourth-quarter landing drives, and needed to sweat out a failed, two-point conversion try by the Payments with 5 seconds left on the clock. The purpose is that they did survive it after they spent nearly the whole recreation pounding the Payments into submission, shutting them out for the primary 54 minutes of the sport.

The Eagles sacked Josh Allen 5 occasions. (Picture by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Photos)

Actually, the Eagles may need gained with ease if their offense hadn’t mainly stopped taking part in after halftime. That they had a complete of 17 yards on 5 drives in the whole second half. That’s ridiculous and embarrassing and must be terrifying.

And it might have been, if the protection hadn’t calmly had their backs the whole time.

"Within the crunch-time moments, we bend however don’t break," defensive finish Jaelen Phillips stated. "That they had just a little little bit of a surge in the direction of the tip, however we had been capable of do what we wanted to do. Gritty video games like which are video games you want to have to organize your self for the lengthy haul."

If that’s true, then this Eagles staff is well-prepared for an additional run — or at the very least their protection is. As a result of they’ve gained loads of video games like that this season, when the offense initially did its half however then bowed out, leaving the protection to do the soiled work the remainder of the best way.

That’s what occurred on Sunday. The sport might have grow to be "gritty" down the stretch, however for more often than not it was shellacking being delivered by the Philly defenders. Jalen Hurts and the offense staked the Eagles to an early 13-0 lead, and the protection wasn’t letting the Payments up for air. They had been, in their very own phrases, "relentless" of their pursuit of Payments quarterback Josh Allen, sacking him 5 occasions — his second-worst whole of the season. They usually held the No. 1 dashing staff within the NFL to 120 yards on the bottom, almost 40 under their season common.

The Payments had been shutout for the primary 54 minutes of the sport. (Picture by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Photos)

They usually punished the Payments with a collection of bone-rattling hits all through the sport. They almost went three quarters earlier than they allowed the Payments to penetrate the crimson zone. And once they did, they hit them with a goal-line stand that included tackling Allen on fourth down on the Philly 3.

This can be a Payments staff able to a Tremendous Bowl run, with a powerful and highly effective offense, and a quarterback who's the defending MVP. And the Eagles' protection knocked them down early and barely allow them to up.

"I imply, we’re relentless," Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell stated. "We’re by no means going to stop. We’re going to surrender.

"I imply, the best way we had been pursuing," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni stated. "We knew Josh Allen may prolong performs. The best way we pursued to the ball confirmed how good of form we’re in, it confirmed how relentless they're. I inform them, gifted groups that play with nice consideration to particulars, that play collectively and play with relentless effort, these groups are laborious to beat.

"So yeah. Relentless."

If solely they might’ve had just a little assist to allow them to maintain it to the tip. If solely they hadn’t been compelled onto the sector for 50 performs within the second half alone, all as a result of the Eagles’ offense completed the sport with 4 straight three-and-outs. They received their final first down of the sport on their second play of the second half — so not a single one over the ultimate 27 minutes.

The Eagles' dashing assault hasn't damaged out of its hunch all season. (Picture by Nic Antaya/Getty Photos)

Possibly that’s an excuse, however it’s why the Payments had been capable of push the Eagles’ overworked protection for 2 landing drives within the closing 10 minutes. And the second, that pushed the sport to its frantic end, wouldn’t have occurred in the event that they didn’t pull off a miracle — a hook and lateral play for a primary down on 4th and 10.

That play sparked the Payments’ closing landing drive. And sure, the Eagles protection certain was helped by Payments coach Sean McDermott’s odd option to go for 2 factors and the win as an alternative of kicking the additional level for extra time.

On that play, although, the Eagles' protection discovered the power for one final go rush, forcing Allen to throw off his again foot and hearth broad to his open receiver. It wasn’t fairly, however it was one other instance of the Eagles’ protection doing what it wanted to do.

And that’s what’s been occurring all season. They do what must be performed, particularly when the offense can’t — which appears to be more often than not.

However the query looming over the Eagles' season is whether or not half a staff might be sufficient. The Eagles have struggled all season to run the ball, to get Saquon Barkley going, and to search out any form of rhythm within the passing recreation with Hurts and DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. At this level, they appear dysfunctional underneath the management of first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. They usually can’t depend on that miraculously turning round within the coming weeks.

So can the protection carry the Eagles all the best way? They definitely are peaking on the proper time. They’ve given up a median of 225.25 yards per recreation over the previous month and held seven of their previous 9 opponents to 331 yards or much less. However Graham is aware of the relentless battle that they simply gained in Buffalo is about to grow to be their new regular.

"This was an awesome battle check for us," he stated, "as a result of it’s about to get actual laborious each week."

The Eagles had the NFL's greatest protection in 2024. It would seemingly must be even higher this postseason. (Picture by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Photos)

The Eagles noticed that and felt it one 12 months in the past once they had the No. 1 protection within the NFL and had been capable of journey that to a Tremendous Bowl championship. This protection would possibly must be even higher than that.

So, is it?

"I can’t actually say if it’s the most effective one but," Graham informed me, "as a result of we’ve received to complete the deal."

If they will end the cope with one other championship, the very fact is that this protection should shoulder a much bigger load than final 12 months as a result of the offense just isn't almost as potent. Possibly Hurts and Co. will get up earlier than it’s too late and begin scoring extra towards prime competitors.

However the Eagles can’t depend on that at this level as a result of it hasn’t occurred all season. They'll need to embody the outdated adage that protection wins championships.

As a result of for them, there could also be no different method.

Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He spent six years overlaying the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and earlier than that, 16 years overlaying the Giants and the NFL for the New York Each day Information. Comply with him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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