Reddick shining brighter as stage gets bigger

[time2rock]

Reddick shining brighter as stage gets bigger

 

The likely NFL Defensive Player of the Year was on the field Sunday afternoon at the Linc.

It’s now laughable we’re not talking about Haason Reddick.

Despite his incredible season, Reddick was not even among the three finalists — Nick Bosa, Micah Parsons, Chris Jones — listed during the week for the most prestigious defensive award in the NFL this season.

What was Reddick’s reaction to that snub?

"Hey, s—, I think my play said it today,” Reddick said. "That’s all I need to say on that.”

Yeah, his play spoke volumes.

Reddick was the best defensive player on the field in the Eagles’ 31-7 win over the 49ers to advance to Super Bowl LVII. He had 2 sacks on Sunday, including a strip sack in the first quarter when he hit the throwing arm of Brock Purdy, rendering the starting quarterback ineffective for the rest of the game.

Initially, the refs on the field ruled the play an incompletion but Reddick knew it wasn’t. He knew it was a strip-sack.

"Oh yeah, I knew,” Reddick said. "If you watch it, I was telling Coach Nick (Sirianni), man, "Throw the flag!’ I knew that was a sack-fumble because I got my hand on the ball. I was telling Coach Nick from the rip, ‘Throw the flag, throw the flag! I know that one is a sack-fumble.’”

He was right.

Linval Joseph wisely scooped up the ball. Sirianni challenged it and won.

And while the Eagles didn’t score on the ensuing drive, that play changed the game and was indicative of the type of pressure they got on the 49ers quarterbacks in the NFC Championship Game.

Reddick, the Camden, New Jersey, native signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Eagles in March and has been worth every penny. The 28-year-old hasn’t been shy about mentioning the main reason he signed with the Eagles was the opportunity to play for his hometown team.

Now, he’ll be representing the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

"It’s crazy,” Reddick said. "Blessings on blessings on blessings. I did not know... Can’t see this coming, man. Now that it’s here, I’m at a loss for words. Just blessed.”

Reddick has 3 1/2 sacks in these two playoff games. That’s already the most ever for an Eagles player in a single playoff run.

And in 19 games as an Eagle, Reddick has 19 1/2 sacks. Bosa has also played in 19 games this season and is stuck on 18 1/2 after being shut out in the 49ers’ three postseason games.

There’s no question that Bosa is great but Reddick’s level of play has continued to rise since the Eagles got into the playoffs.

"Haason Reddick, he’s been a bad dude all year,” Jalen Hurts said unprompted, "and that’s what we need going forward.”

The Eagles finished with three sacks on Sunday against the 49ers but they also had seven quarterback hits and wrecked the game for the Niners, who were forced to run the ball even when they got down big because of Purdy’s injury and Josh Johnson’s concussion.

During the regular season, the Eagles finished with an incredible 70 sacks. But in their two playoff games, they’ve been just as disruptive … if not more.

"Probably one of our best games this year if you ask me,” Reddick said. "The crazy part about it is I think we can be better. We got one more opportunity that we earned today. We gotta go put on tape that we’re the best team in the NFL.”

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-haason-reddick-shining-brighter-stage-gets-bigger