Eagles player credits youth, college football for helping him block field goal in win

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles field goal block team was on the field during the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, getting in position to rush a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter. Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter and defensive tackle Jordan Davis lined up next to each other, and a combined 615 pounds began pushing in the middle of the line meant to protect Bills kicker Tyler Bass.

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As Bass swung his leg and connected with the ball, the double-thud sound that a kicker never wanted to hear happened, with Carter reaching up to put his left hand in the air to deflect the ball’s trajectory, thwarting the field goal attempt and giving the ball back to the Eagles. The block, along with the four tackles, a tackle for loss, and pressure he was providing that drew double teams consistently, may have been why Carter received the random drug test note on the back of his chair telling him that he had to see the NFL’s medical advisor to provide a sample.

However, it showed how Carter continues to play well as a rookie and how the young defensive lineman stepped up to make an impact during Sunday’s 37-34 overtime win over the Bills. Carter’s block kept points off the board, three that may have meant the game may not have gone to an extra session. Carter described the field goal block, stating that he relied on what he learned from playing football when he was younger and the takeaways from his time at the University of Georgia.

“We just got a big rush now in the middle,: Carter said. “I think it was JD, but we got a big push down the middle, and I put my hands up. I’ve been working on that since I started football. It was a big emphasis in college and helped me in the league.”

Carter’s block came after he had to go to the sideline after injuring his left hand and wrist. Wearing a cast during the field goal attempt, Carter said he did not truly feel the ball when he blocked the field goal.

“I felt it hit my hand, but I didn’t know which way the ball went tried the ball went,” Carter said. “I turned around and saw it go to the left.”

The Eagles entered the game without defensive tackle Milton Williams and later lost Fletcher Cox to a hamstring injury. With two of their top four defensive tackles sidelined, the Eagles had to rely on Carter, Davis, Marlon Tuipulotu, and Moro Ojomo to play a lot. Spending 40 minutes and 30 seconds on the field and having to chase Bills quarterback Josh Allen made things difficult for the defense. Carter said it meant a lot to him that he was on the field during critical situations late in the game.

“This team has a lot of trust in me to put me out there and play the amount of snaps that I played, and I tried to affect the game as best as possible,” Carter said. “I was willing to give back to this team and do whatever I could to win.”

Even when the Bills offense was moving the ball, Carter said no one on the field was down on themselves or with any of their teammates, with everyone trying to find a way to stop the Bills and get off the field.

“We just try to keep each other positive out here,” Carter said. “There’s nothing negative coming out of anybody’s mouth on the field or on the sidelines. We just take that in and take the positives and try to make a play on it.”

Davis said that Carter and the entire interior defensive unit had to step up, making sure that they kept the team in the game and provided quality snaps.

“We had to work with what he had,” Davis said. “That’s part of the game. There are going to be injuries and there are going to be tough times, but it was not just Jalen. Everybody down the line, from Marlon to Moro, in the times he was in. It all comes together. That’s what we practice, and that’s what we preach. It doesn’t matter. It’s the next man up mentality.”

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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.