SI

Dan Orlovsky Breaks Down Just How Crucial Jalen Carter’s Late Sack Was for Eagles

This sack may have saved the Eagles' season.

Tim Capurso

An all-22 camera angle shows Rams tight end Tyler Higbee breaking open after an Eagles defender fell down just as Carter sacked QB Matthew Stafford.
An all-22 camera angle shows Rams tight end Tyler Higbee breaking open after an Eagles defender fell down just as Carter sacked QB Matthew Stafford. / Screengrab Twitter @danorlovsky7
In this story:

Jalen Carter earned praise from both fans and pundits for his impressive play in the Philadelphia Eagles' 28-22 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round on Sunday. Carter was a dominant force on the interior, tallying three quarterback hits, a pair of sacks, and two tackles for loss.

But it was Carter's final sack, which came in the fourth quarter as the Rams were driving deep into Eagles territory with a chance to take a late lead, that was his biggest play of the game.

As ESPN's Dan Orlovsky broke down in a video with an all-22 camera angle, Carter very likely saved a touchdown with his sack of Rams QB Matthew Stafford on 3rd-and-2 from the Eagles' 13-yard line with 1:14 remaining in the game.

As Orlovsky points out, Stafford was very likely going to tight end Tyler Higbee, who already had one touchdown reception in the game and seemed ticketed for another. On the play, the nearest Eagles defender in coverage slipped on the snow-covered turf, leaving the veteran pass-catcher with a clear path to the end zone.

Carter, who was unblocked by the Rams' offensive line, may have saved the Eagles' season with the crucial and incredibly-timed sack.

More of the Latest Around the NFL

Published
Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

Home/NFL