The Philadelphia Eagles are 4-0 after an impressive win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It wasn’t pretty and the weather made the battle even tougher, but the resilience shown by the team encapsulated just what makes it so special. One player in particular really stood out on Sunday, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone, but it ultimately will. Jack Driscoll, the backup offensive lineman, played a key cog in the victory.
Jack Driscoll to the rescue
Jordan Mailata got hurt on the opening series of the game after suffering a shoulder injury when trying to stop Andre Cisco taking an interception to the house. This left the Eagles without their franchise left tackle and in a tough spot.
They turned to Jack Driscoll. A tackle out of Auburn who has been cross-trained to play any spot along this Eagles offensive front in a pinch. He started 9 games last year in lieu of Brandon Brooks, with 8 coming at the right guard spot. He only gave up 1 sack and 18 pressures in 293 pass-blocking snaps last year and garnered PFF grades of 70.5 overall, and 73.9 in pass protection.
The Eagles rumble over the Jags
With the wind howling and rain turning the field into a slip and slide, the Eagles did what they do best – ran the ball. They put up 210 yards in total, with Miles Sanders accounting for 134 and a pair of scores, while Jalen Hurts punched in one of his own, and Kenny Gainwell another. The Eagles turned back the clocks to being the dominant offensive unit that led the league in rushing last year – one Driscoll was also a part of.
“Stout gets him ready to play all positions.” Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator, explained. ”So being a smart football player that he is and understanding the scheme we’re running offensively, he’s prepared to play all of them, and he’s done a nice job.”
Should we be surprised?
Jack Driscoll’s impressive outing shouldn’t come as a shock. Offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland has done a fantastic job at turning water into wine since his arrival in Philadelphia. Whether it’s transforming a seventh-round pick into a dominant left tackle, or helping late-round picks like Driscoll, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and many others, hit their highest ceiling, Stoutland has built the Eagles one of the most ruthless offensive lines in all of football year after year. Regardless of who got injured and who balled out, Stout always had an answer and had the next guy ready to go.
With Isaac Seumalo’s future uncertain at guard and Andre Dillard missing time with a forearm injury, Driscoll has a big opportunity to showcase his value, with snaps potentially opening up at two spots and him being the emergency backup in the event of an injury.
So far, so good.
Jack Driscoll is still only 25-years-old and under contract through the 2023 season. We should be seeing a lot more of him over the next two years as he continues to develop into a fringe starter and top-tier backup.
It’s refreshing knowing that even with their ridiculously lethal air-raid offense, the Eagles can still do a lot of damage on the ground. That wouldn’t be possible without a strong offensive line, and it wouldn’t be possible without Jack Driscoll.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
