Reddick thrives in his first playoff moment

[time2rock]

Reddick thrives in his first playoff moment

 

Haason Reddick waited his entire professional career for Saturday night.

He played like it.

In the first playoff game of his six-year NFL career, the Eagles’ Pro Bowl edge rusher dominated from the first snap in the Eagles’ 38-7 win over the Giants to advance to the NFC Championship Game.

"I was feeling it,” Reddick said. "Excited to go, excited to be where we’re at right now. I’m giving everything I got. I’m going to squeeze every ounce of energy and everything I got in me until it’s over for us.”

On the Giants’ first drive of the game, 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.

Reddick’s performance wasn’t either.

As excited as Reddick was to finally play in a playoff game, his emotions never got the best of him. He was locked in the whole way.

"I know what’s on the line,” Reddick said. "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.”

The 28-year-old played 97 regular season games before finally getting a chance in the postseason on Saturday night. After being labeled a first-round bust, after playing out of position and after joining his third team in three seasons, Reddick’s road to Saturday night was a long one.

It was just fitting that the Camden, New Jersey native’s playoff moment came in front of his hometown fans.

"It’s a blessing at the end of the day,” Reddick said. "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.”

Reddick expected the atmosphere to be crazy but the Linc exceeded his expectations.

"I’m gonna say it again: Fans, keep coming out,” Reddick said. "Bird Gang, keep coming out. We’re gonna need y’all. Keep being loud, keep being relentless, let’s keep having fun.”

In addition to his 1 1/2 sacks against the Giants on Saturday night, Reddick also finished with a team-high 5 combined tackles and had a TFL and 3 QB hits. He was unrelenting all night.

Reddick consistently beat right tackle Evan Neal and even got sprung on a well-timed stunt as the looper shooting the A-gap. He credited defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon for that call — "He called it at the perfect time.”

In 18 games with the Eagles this season, Reddick now has 17 1/2 sacks and he’s had at least half a sack in 13 of those 18 games this season. Reddick has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL all season and his $15 million-per-season contract signed in March is already looking like a bargain.

For whatever reason, Reddick has been overlooked nationally in recent seasons, even though 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.

The Eagles on Saturday night sacked Jones five times and made him look like the Jones of old. That was the plan going in.

"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,” Reddick said. "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.

That will be a chance for him to show off his talents on a national stage.

"That’s part of it,” Reddick said. "But mainly, I’m worried about winning right now. I’m worried about 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.”

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-haason-reddick-thrives-his-first-playoff-moment

[UK_EaglesFan89]

The number of near misses this guy gets is crazy. I'm pretty sure there were back to back plays on Saturday where he gets pressure and forces Jones to just throw it away or rush the pass. 

We talk about QB pressures being an overrated stat and I think it is. But with context (and with the sacks and FF) to back them up pressures do add to a players all around game. Reddick just makes big plays every week.