Philadelphia Eagles: Sidney Jones just saved the season… wait, what?
In quite possibly the weirdest twist imaginable, the Philadelphia Eagles’ playoff hopes are still alive thanks to a clutch play by Sidney Jones… wait, what?
When the story of the Philadelphia Eagles‘ bizarre 2019 season is recorded into the annals of football history, one play will stand out from above the rest – a play that you probably don’t even remember in vivid detail.
Sure, sure, the Birds snuck half a dozen or so highlight plays into their come from behind overtime routing of the New York Giants – in large part because of the human highlight reel Boston Scott, but the play of the game – but the play that a made it all possible was anything but; it was a simple fourth-down incompletion.
Let me set the stage.
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It’s third-and-three, 1:39 minutes to go in the fourth, all tied up at 17. After losing Rasul Douglas to an injury on the previous play, the Eagles have one timeout left with Eli Manning taking the field for quite possibly the final drive of his professional football playing career. If he completes a pass, really any pass will do, the Giants earn a new set of downs and an opportunity to compete for their own Miracle at the Meadow… Linc.
But apparently, Sidney Jones had other plans.
That’s right, after failing to log a defensive snap since Week 8, Jones made arguably the play of his life by breaking up a gimmie pass to Darius Slayton across the middle of the field. From there, the Giants punted off to literally the only healthy wide receiver left on the Eagles game day roster (Greg Ward) and all but conceded a win in regulation.
Had Jones botched his assignment, a common issue for the secondary this month, who knows how the game would have ended? For all we know, irate fans may have burned down Lincoln Financial Field in a waterlogged rage and the Birds would have to face off against the Dallas Cowboys at Franklin Field the Sunday before Christmas.
Or worse yet, we’d have to realistically weigh the options of signing a player like Cam Newton (cool), Andy Dalton (eh), or *gasp* Mitch Trubisky (ew).
Thankfully, we don’t have to get there quite yet – emphasis on quite.
Next. Philadelphia Eagles: That was terrible...then amazing. dark
No, in quite possibly the weirdest twist of fate imaginable, the Philadelphia Eagles’ playoff hopes are alive and well in large part because of a clutch play by Sidney Jones – a player many fans wanted the team to cut weeks ago. While this one play won’t change his future with the team, or the legacy he’ll leave in the City of Brotherly Love, at least the 43rd overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft made a positive impression on what could very well be his final highlight in midnight green.