5 Surprise Eagles Heroes Who Have Carried the Team to 3-0
The Eagles finally have their statement win. Nobody in the organization seemed happy with how they’d played during the 2-0 start. Fans were impatient too, and the national media was casting doubt on Philly’s chances of repeating as NFC champs.
That chatter was all silenced with Monday’s dominant win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But it still wasn’t a flawless performance, and it hasn’t been the usual suspects carrying the Eagles to their great start to the season.
Jalen Hurts hasn’t been his MVP-caliber self. Haason Reddick hasn’t been up to the standard he set as a Defensive Player of the Year last year. AJ Brown just had his first really strong game of the season. Those are the three biggest stars on the team.
But starting 3-0 anyway highlights just how incredibly deep this team is.
Here are the five Eagles that have carried the team in place of our superstars so far this season.
5 Eagles to Thank for 3-0 Start
1. Jalen Carter
Jalen Carter is already one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, and he’s been absolutely elite at getting after opposing quarterbacks:
Jalen Carter finished with a team-high 5 pressures on 16 pass rushes in the @Eagles Week 3 win over the Buccaneers (31.3% pressure rate).
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 26, 2023
Through the first three weeks, the rookie is tied for 2nd among defensive tackles in total pressures (15).
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And how fitting is that? How many times can you lose a guy of Javon Hargrave’s caliber only to replace him with a rookie that is capable of producing at the same level? Not to mention doing that with a rookie when your own first-round pick was No. 31 overall.
Carter’s impact started right from Week 1, and he hasn’t taken a single step back. If anything, he continues to show improvements on a weekly basis. That should terrify offenses.
He has at least half a sack in two of his three games, and he’s been getting after the quarterback consistently each week, still recording 3 pressures in Week 2 when he didn’t have any sacks.
The Philly D is operating with a new defensive coordinator, without their old star defensive tackle, with their best edge player having completely disappeared and their slot corner hurt.
But they’re still operating at a high level.
Carter’s dominance as a pass rusher while also already eating up double teams effectively against the run has played a big part in that success.