PHOENIX. Joason Reddick has been the strength of the Philadelphia Eagles this season. He had 16 bags. In the playoffs, he added another 3.5.
However, something was missing. No All-Pro selection to first team. No place among the NFL Defensive Player of the Year finalists.
And, according to Reddick, perhaps some proper respect among the best defenders in the game.
“I return to this answer. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and at the end of the day, my numbers don’t lie,” Reddick said on Wednesday. it shouldn’t be… they can justify whatever they want, say whatever they want, after all, my football, my game speaks for itself.”
Reddick seemed a little offended that his third consecutive double-digit sacking season was not getting the attention he deserved. Some games in Super Bowl LVII can fix this.
Reddick could be one of the Super Bowl stars on Sunday. Von Miller is the most recent defensive player to win the Super Bowl MVP. Reddick could be next.
Reddick has a big season
The biggest hurdle for Reddick to become a Super Bowl LVII breakout star is that other Eagles linebackers can beat him in front of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Eagles have had 70 sacks this season. The 1984 Chicago Bears hold the NFL record with 72 balls in a season. The Four Eagles had double-digit sacks, an NFL record. The Eagles’ quick passing is a huge part of the team’s success and an important factor in the Super Bowl game against the Chiefs.
“They always start at the front,” said defenseman Javon Hargrave, who has sacked 11 this season. “It’s important for us to disrupt the game and try not to make it easy for them.”
The Eagles knew there were never enough pass rushers, so they spent big money on Reddick when he was a free agent last offseason. Reddick was finishing the season with 11 sacks for the Carolina Panthers, and luckily for the Eagles, he wanted to go home. He was born in Camden, New Jersey and attended Temple College.
“Fulfilling a childhood dream, man,” Reddick said. “I wanted to be able to return home. I watched them grow up and I had the opportunity to go home and play for my hometown team.”
It was the perfect match.
Reddick comes home
The $45 million the Eagles paid Reddick for a three-year contract also helped complete the homecoming. This deal looks good now.
The Eagles got an elite pass rusher at a reasonable price given the market in position. Reddick was delighted with how his first season in Philadelphia went.
“Definitely,” he said. “Especially from a team point of view. I always believed in myself and wanted to improve every year, but in terms of a team, I didn’t think we would be like that.”
Violations will get the most attention in Super Bowl LVII, and for good reason. Both the Chiefs and the Eagles are among the top three offenses in the NFL and are led by star quarterbacks.
But the defense also has playmakers, and Reddick could be the hottest defenseman on any team.
Reddick was very good in the NFC championship game, with two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. When he hit San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on a pass in the first quarter, Purdy injured his elbow and temporarily sidelined him. Reddick also scored a crucial fumble near midfield in a game that turned the NFC title game around.
Reddick also has the opportunity to turn the Super Bowl into his stage and perhaps get some respect, which he feels is overdue.
“We knew a lot about him, but I don’t think I knew what he was,” Hargrave said. “It’s just his engine. He can fall, stumble, get blocked, and still get up and play. It just doesn’t stop.”
Source: sports.yahoo.com
