The Eagles have been fully powered by several superstars this season. From Haason Reddick, Jalen Hurts, James Bradberry, A.J. Brown, and several other players. But it’s been their young players that have truly gone above and beyond for them as of late. Here are a couple of players that have helped catapult the Eagles from the divisional round and into the Super Bowl.
Kenny Gainwell
From only having 240 rushing yards in the regular season to posting 195 total yards against the Giants and 49ers. Gainwell has been able to provide the Eagles with the perfect balance in their rushing attack during these playoffs. It has also allowed Miles Sanders to take longer breaks in between drives while providing the offense with some consistency.
Gainwell was masterful against the Giants as he rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown but he was even more impressive against the 49ers. Kenny G was able to keep the Eagles’ drives alive with his shifty moves and his ability to break tackles.
Reed Blankenship
Even with C.J. Gardner-Johnson back in the fold, Reed Blankenship has been able to still have a role on this defense. He has provided Gannon with more security from the safety group. This could carry over to next season and lead to some big decision-making from Howie Roseman as both Epps and CJGJ will be free agents.
In his limited amount of snaps, Blankenship has tallied 11 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble followed by its recovery against the 49ers. with CJGJ and Avonte Maddox back in the fold, the rookie has been making the most of his opportunities.
Jordan Davis
It’s great to see the Eagles’ first-round pick fully healthy now. Philly relied heavily on Davis against the run early on in the season but kind of shied away from him after his return due to the additions of Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph. On Sunday afternoon, Jordan was credited with his first career Quarterback hit. It was also a positive sign to see him out snap Linval Joseph 16-10.
Marcus Epps
Maybe not as impactful against the 49ers as he was against the Giants but Epps has been a bright spot for the Eagles. The former Viking has truly come into his own this season as a starter and has only played less than 100% of the snaps three times this season. Two of those games came in the playoffs against the Giants and 49ers.
The great thing about Epps is that he finds a way to always be around the ball regardless of his positioning but the downfall is that he sometimes tends to go too low on a tackle which allows the offensive player to break loose. Epps was the third leading tackler for the Birds this season with 94 total.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
