In Week 11, the Philadelphia Eagles got contributions from all over the field in their dominant win over the Washington Commanders.
Players like Saquon Barkley and AJ Brown showed up in a major way, sure, but did you know that Jalen Carter played every defensive snap in Week 11? Or that Quinyon Mitchell didn’t give up a single yard to Terry McLaurin even though he covered him for most of the game? Although Grant Calcaterra failed to record a catch in the game, he did better for the Eagles, recovering a Dallas Goedert fumble that kept the Eagles’ offensive momentum alive and prevented the Commanders from getting the ball back when the final result was very there are still many things unresolved.
Discussing Calcaterra’s recovery with reporters after the game, Sirianni celebrated the Eagles’ TE2 for picking his head up and playing when the ball was in his hands, as playing his role to the best of his ability is part of why the Eagles so much success.
“Good things happen when you get to football. We talk about it in defense. We talk about it in attack. When you rush to football, when you get there, when you play with hard effort, good things happen. And I think we’ve focused on post-capture, “Who can you flip and find,” meaning who can you flip and find and block on him so you can open up even more this thing,” Sirianni told reporters.
“So it was just an effort by Grant to try to get his teammate to get a big win. Then he was around football so he could get that back there. In 2022 I think [former Eagles WR] Quez [Watkins] lost a similar fumble in this game against the Commanders where it occurred on a deeper pass, but they were able to recover it. It was a huge recovery.
While Calcaterra may no longer be earning the bulk of TE snaps following Goedert’s return, he is still playing for the Eagles, which Sirianni believes can only mean good things for the SMU product’s future.
“Grant continues to do things with the ball in his hands, without the ball in his hand, whether he’s the No. 1 tight end, the No. 2 tight end. We win football games because Grant plays good football,” Sirianni told reporters. “It takes everyone. Everyone’s role is not the same, but everyone’s role is vitally important. It’s team football, and that’s where you take pride in the guys playing good team football together.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is proud of Grant Calcaterra’s contributions to TNF
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In addition to Sirianni, Jalen Hurts also commented on the play of his former Oklahoma teammate Calcaterra, celebrating him for keep your head high and making a play when his Eagles needed it most.
“Yeah, it’s crucial. You know, we talk about effort, we talk about flying towards the ball. And honestly the first thing that kills us is going back and finding [the ball]. And go back and find if you don’t have the ball in your hands. So obviously, [Eagles TE] Dallas [Goedert] does this take, and he’s trying to go for some YAC, and it’s the guy you don’t see. And I know he wishes he had better ball security there. But why do you go back and find? Why are you chasing the ball offensively and defensively? Because you never know what could happen. You want to be there,” Hurts told reporters.
“So good things always happen when you’re flying to the ball and you get to the ball, and that’s definitely a crucial moment in the game. It helped extend our drive. I think it’s a great example effort than finishing the play You are talking about roles, [Eagles TE] To agree [Calcaterra] is – I think I’ve said this before – one of the most selfless guys on the team with his role. And you know, it looks different. You know, he’s been a little absent in Dallas’ absence, and now he makes one of the most underrated plays in the game, and he’s able to recover that fumble, extend the drive and have the opportunity to give it to [Eagles RB] Saquon [Barkley] a few more times, so it’s a big game.”
You know, if Hurts really wants to help his former and current teammate, he could throw him a few more passes in the future; you know, just an idea.