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The ‘smart’ way Jalen Carter made Eagles’ pivotal FG block vs. Rams
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- The ‘smart’ way Jalen Carter made Eagles’ pivotal FG block vs. Rams
The post The 'smart' way Jalen Carter made Eagles' pivotal FG block vs. Rams appeared first on ClutchPoints .
In Week 3, when the Philadelphia Eagles needed a play to complete their comeback victory against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field, they kept calling on the same two numbers: 90 and 98.
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On defense, the duo was predictably impactful, with Jordan Davis in particular showcasing why he might just be the 2025 Breakout Player of the Year – if such an award existed – but where the duo really flashed was on special teams, where Jalen Carter blocked a field goal on the penultimate Rams drive of the game and his fellow Georgia Bulldog doing the same a few minutes later, returning the ball 61 yards for a walk-off touchdown .
Discussing how the Eagles were able to come up with two major special teams plays with reporters on Tuesday, coordinator Michael Clay explained how the blocks came together, which involved Carter identifying something he liked on earlier kicks and using that to help Philadelphia secure the win.
"Yeah, kind of what I allude to like [DT Jalen Carter ] JC is such a cerebral player when it comes field goal block, like he does things that some people don't have a knack for, but he does in terms of figuring things out, whether it's the film that we watch on Friday or during the game. I think he caught something, and I don't want to spill any of his secrets out there in the world, but I think he caught something where he could get that jump," Clay explained.
"Then his technique with [DT Jordan Davis] JD to get, we call it a V-technique to try and uproot those guards right there was outstanding. We always say you could get three yards of penetration, get your hands up. That ball trajectory probably hasn't hit its apex. You could possibly get a block. One of the field goal blocks, I think it was right before the half we kind of had him loop around and he was still able to get some penetration in his hand up and I think when he feels the wind kind of go past his hand, it kind of confirms what he sees out there and he knows all I could go and get one."
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After the game, Davis noted that he and Carter did see something in earlier kicks, noting that Joshua Karty was using a lower than usual launch angle on his field goals and the two supersized defensive tackles could use their length to their advantage to challenge the play. But according to Clay, Carter has been in the pursuit of blocking a kick for years now, with the Georgia product coming close two years ago in Buffalo.
"It happened similarly I believe two years ago against Buffalo. He almost got one, then he got the one where he jumped and was able to get it," Clay recalled. "So I think JC is such a smart player that he's able to use that as an advantage."
As one of the best defensive players in the NFL, it would make sense if some fans don't see the appeal of risking Carter's health to muck it up on special teams, but if he's able to keep making plays and changing games on the third phase of the game, Carter's star power will only continue to grow.
