EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Eagles blocked three kicks Sunday, and they needed every one of them to secure a 34-29 victory over the New York Giants (see breakdown).
Derek Barnett blocked an extra point in the first quarter, a play that wound up putting the Giants behind the eight ball for the rest of the game. Kamu Grugier-Hill blocked a punt in the second quarter, which led to an Eagles touchdown. Then in the fourth quarter, Malcolm Jenkins blocked a field goal that could have given New York the lead.
It was, by far, the Eagles' best special teams performance of the season to date, one in which the unit had been preparing for all week.
"All week we knew we could do things here, pick apart them here," Grugier-Hill said, "so we went in with a really good plan and we executed."
It could've been the game plan devised by special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, or the hard work of the players in the film room and on the practice field (see Roob's observations). Or, as Barnett suggests, it might've been the Eagles finally playing to their capabilities.
"We executed," Barnett said. "That's about it. There's nothing else behind it."
The Eagles' special teams had been uncharacteristically poor over the previous five contests. At one point, the coverage units allowed a kick or punt return of 39 yards or more in three straight games. But the biggest miscue of all came last week in Los Angeles - a blocked punt that nearly helped swing the outcome in the Rams' favor.
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For a franchise that has routinely fielded some of the best special teams units in the league, the performance was unacceptable.
"Our standard is higher," Grugier-Hill said. "The last three or four years, we've been the top special teams in the league, so to have those down weeks, we've been really putting emphasis on everyone elevating their game and doing better."
The emphasis paid off. The Eagles made a bit of history, becoming the first NFL team to block an extra point, a field goal and a punt in the same game since the Buffalo Bills did it in 1991.
More importantly, the Eagles were able to swing the momentum in their favor time and time again, and ultimately, they pick up the win as a result.
"We knew from some things that we saw on tape that we had a couple guys that we could attack," Jenkins said.
In addition to the game plan, the Eagles shored up their special teams this week with the re-signing of Bryan Braman. Furthermore, the Giants aren't exactly known for fielding in a quality unit in any phase of the kicking game.
The Eagles had a plan. They had the personnel in place. They were up against inferior competition.
But it all came back to execution (see report card).
"Just getting off the rock, playing physical, not stopping and just keep on going forward," Barnett said. "Schematically? I don't know the answer. That's a coach question. Whatever they do, we do up front, and if everybody executes it - it's all 11 of us, not just one - if we all execute, we'll get the outcome we want."
Braman, who signed Tuesday and was back in action for the first time since 2016, gave a similar evaluation.
"Everybody comes off the ball like they're the ones that are going to be able to block it," Braman said, "and the scheme and everything ended up paying off."
The Eagles' stellar special teams performance also happened to be timely, as it was the first game without injured starting quarterback Carson Wentz.
Coming down the stretch, the club will be counting on contributions from all three phases to overcome the loss of a leader and an MVP-caliber player.
On Sunday, special teams held up their end of the bargain and then some.
"When a starter like Carson goes down, everyone needs to elevate their game," Grugier-Hill said. "It's not just defense, it's defense or even offensive guys, they need to individually pick up their game."
