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 Jalen Carter played every single defensive snap in Week 11? Or that Quinyon Mitchell didn't surrender a single yard to Terry McLaurin despite covering him most of the game? While Grant Calcaterra didn't end up recording a catch in the game, he did the Eagles one better, recovering a Dallas Goedert fumble that kept the Eagles' offensive drive alive and prevented the Commanders from getting the ball back when the final outcome was very much still up in the air.
Discussing Calcaterra's recovery with reporters after the game, Sirianni celebrated the Eagles TE2 for getting his head up and making plays when the ball was in his hands, as playing his role to the best of his abilities is part of why the Eagles are so successful.
“Good things happen when you get to the football. We talk about that on defense. We talk about that on offense. When you're hustling to the football, getting to the football, playing with relentless effort, good things happen. And I think that we've made a big emphasis on after the catch, ‘Who can you flip and find,' meaning who can you flip and find and get a block on him to be able to spring that thing open even more,” Sirianni told reporters.
“So that was just effort by Grant of trying to set his teammate off to get a big gain. Then he was around the football to be able to pick that up there. In 2022 I think [former Eagles WR] Quez [Watkins] lost a similar fumble in this game against the Commanders where it was on a deeper pass, but they were able to recover it. That was a huge recovery.”
While Calcaterra may no longer be earning the bulk of the TE snaps after the return of Goedert, he is still making plays for the Eagles, which Sirianni believes can only spell 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 is the No. 1 tight end, the No. 2 tight end. We're winning football games because Grant is playing good football,” Sirianni told reporters. “It takes everybody. Not everybody's role is the same, but everybody's role is vitally important. That's team football, and that's where you're proud of the guys for just playing good team football together.”
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is proud of Grant Calcaterra's TNF contributions
In addition to Sirianni, Jalen Hurts also commented on the spot-up play by his former Oklahoma teammate Calcaterra, celebrating him for keeping his head up and making a play when his Eagles needed it most.
“Yeah, that's crucial. You know, we talk about effort, we talk about flying to the ball. And honestly, the number one thing that's been killing us is flipping and finding [the ball]. And flipping and finding if you don't have the ball in your hands. So obviously, [Eagles TE] Dallas [Goedert] makes that catch, and he tries to go get some YAC, and it's the guy you don't see. And I know he's wishing he would've had better ball security there. But why do you flip and find? Why are you in pursuit of the ball offensively and defensively? Because you never know what can happen. You want to be there,” Hurts told reporters.
“So, good things always happen when you fly to the ball and get to the ball, and it's a crucial moment in the game, for sure. That was able to extend our drive. I think it's a great example of effort, finishing the play. You talk about roles, [Eagles TE] Grant [Calcaterra] is – I think I said this already – one of the most selfless guys on the team with his role. And you know, it looks different. You know, he popped off for a little bit in absence of Dallas, and now he makes one of the most underrated plays of the game, and being able to recover that fumble, extend the drive, and have the opportunity to give it to [Eagles RB] Saquon [Barkley] a couple more times, so it's a big play.”
You know, if Hurts really wants to help out his once and current teammate, he could throw him a few more passes moving forward; you know, just an idea.
