Haason Reddick, the Pro Bowl edge rusher for the Philadelphia Eagles, dominated the field in the team’s 38-7 win over the Giants on Saturday night. This was Reddick’s first playoff game in his six-year NFL career and he made sure it was a memorable one. From the first snap, Reddick split a sack with Josh Sweat on third down and then sacked Daniel Jones himself on fourth down to give the Eagles the ball back around midfield. The Birds scored another touchdown to go up 14-0 several plays later and the result was never in doubt.
It has been a long road for Reddick to reach this point. After being labeled a first-round bust, playing out of position, and joining his third team in three seasons, the 28-year-old had played 97 regular season games before finally getting a chance in the postseason. However, Reddick’s emotions never got the best of him, he was focused and locked in throughout the game. “I know what’s on the line. I’m here, I’m focused, I’m locked in. I’m just going to continue to give it all I got until it’s over for us,” said Reddick.
It was fitting that Reddick’s playoff moment came in front of his hometown fans. The Camden, New Jersey native said, “It’s a blessing at the end of the day. Just being in this position, having this opportunity. This whole season has been a blessing. I’m glad I got to come home and have the season I’m having in front of my hometown in the same place I played college ball at.” The atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field exceeded Reddick’s expectations and he urged the fans to continue supporting the team.
In 18 games with the Eagles this season, Reddick has 17 1/2 sacks and has had at least half a sack in 13 of those 18 games. His $15 million-per-season contract signed in March is already looking like a bargain. Reddick has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL all season, yet he has been overlooked nationally in recent seasons. Despite this, he has now had double-digit sacks in three straight seasons for three different clubs, becoming the first player in NFL history to pull off that feat.
On Saturday night, the Eagles sacked Jones five times and made him look like the Jones of old. That was the plan going in, and Reddick played a big role in it. “We got great pass rushers and we knew that if we really wanted a shot at winning this game, it would be up to our guys up front affecting him, keeping pressure on him, having him sweat, just terrorizing him all night,” said Reddick. “And we were able to get the job done.”
The Eagles will host the NFC Championship Game next Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Linc, and Reddick is a big reason why. This will be a chance for him to show off his talents on a national stage, but for now, Reddick is focused on one thing, “winning and trying to get my first Super Bowl and getting another Super Bowl for the organization right now. I ain’t worried about anything else outside of that. Just winning. Dominant football.”
