The Philadelphia Eagles pulled off another close win as they beat the Los Angeles Rams 33-26 on Sunday afternoon. It took a team effort to get that win because, in the process, running back Tank Bigsby had a rough game. Philadelphia muffed three kickoffs in a row, and two of them came from Bigsby.
That is less than ideal from a player who was brought in to be a piece in the return game and struggled in that department during his first practice with the team earlier in September.
Tank Bigsby Struggled for Eagles in Week 3
The Rams have been very effective with their kickoffs. Karty has been able to do some line drives, squib kicks that bounce in a certain direction, and forces the returner to pick up the ball. Philadelphia's returners had big problems fielding these kicks, and it was so bad for Bigsby that fans were calling for him to get pulled.
It's been a small sample size for Bigsby as a returner with the Eagles but it hasn't been pleasant. In the win over the Rams, he has two returns for 24 total yards. John Metchie, who was acquired in August, also struggled as a returner for the Birds.
It isn't a good look for Bigsby, especially since the Eagles publicly boasted about his ability back there. He has a lot of work to do to secure that role for good, yet it seems that his coaches may not have the most confidence in him after today's performance.
It's also not like he was a factor in the run game, as he didn't have a carry in Sunday's win. When he touches the ball as a returner, that may be the only time he touches the ball all game, but he's not taking advantage of it.
Week 4 will be the next chance for him to redeem himself. Until then, every practice rep he has this week as a returner is big. He needs to work out the kinks, as a return man is a sneaky but very important part of the team.
And if he can't improve sooner rather than later, he could find himself standing on the sidelines when kickoffs come around.