Jeff Stoutland Keeps Eagles Offensive Line Humming Despite Injuries

Tyler Steen and Fred Johnson stepped in and the the well-oiled machine kept running and was in stark contrast to a Giants offensive line that falls to pieces when they have injuries on line.

Eagles OT Fred Johnson / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Tyler Steen had to step in early after Mekhi Becton let with a concussion, and the Eagles offensive line machine kept right on humming along.

Rarely does it seem to break down when someone up front goes down, unlike the New York Giants, who were playing without Andrew Thomas and fell to pieces, allowing eight sacks to the Eagles in Philly’s 28-3 win on Sunday.

Obviously, the Eagles have a superior line coach in Jeff Stoutland and general manager Howie Roseman gets credit, too, for supplying the clay for Stout to mold.

“I think Steen did good,” said left guard Landon Dickerson. “Sadly, I can’t look at him when I’m in the play, so we have to look at the film. But like I say every week when we have guys go down, we have an expectation in the O-line room when somebody goes down, the next guy up is going to be able to execute at the same level.

“So, everybody in that room prepares like they’re the starter so when something happens they go in and we don’t treat him any differently.”

The Giants lose left tackle Thomas, and kaboom, their line blows up.

The Eagles lose left tackle Jordan Mailata with a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve and the machine still hums with Fred Johnson doing an adequate job. Adequate was all it was and that’s all it needed to be. He didn’t implode.

Eagles OL coach Jeff Stoutland / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

“I feel like it had its ups and downs,” said Johnson. “I think once I settled in, I got into a groove. It just comes with live-action reps. I executed when I needed to. I got a lot of things to work on, hit the ground running each week, and get ready for the next one.”

Whether Johnson will make his second straight start in Cincinnati on Sunday against Trey Hendrickson, who has seven sacks this year, remains to be seen. The chances of doing it may have increase with the Becton concussion.

If Becton can’t play, it will probably be Johnson and Steen starting at right guard. Head coach Nick Sirianni predictably declined to say who Johnson’s backup was or who the reserve swing tackle was when asked on Monday, though Jack Driscoll or Darian Kinnard are probably in the mix there.

As for Steen, he knows his role and was ready for it when called upon.

“Coach Sirianni has his roles meeting before the season starts and kind of let everybody know what their role is on the team,” said Steen. “Once you realize what your role is you try to do it to the best of your ability and go from there. (My role) is to step in when my number’s called.”

So, he did.

Sirianni was asked how he thought he did, and the coach referenced a combo block that Steen and Lane Johnson were able to execute against Dexter Lawrence on one of Saquon Barkley’s long runs.

“Steen just has this perfect timing of when to get off onto the linebacker and leave Lane with Dexter Lawrence in the crease,” said Sirianni. “That takes a lot of work together. That takes a lot of timing together, a lot of practice time together, to really fit that block properly.

“Just couldn't say enough the guys and their work ethic, their faith in each other. I definitely see that within the offensive line. Hey, this guy is down; I got faith in the next guy. They constantly talk about it, and it's awesome when it shows up on tape like that.”

More NFL: Eagles Dawgs From Georgia Deliver Bark And Bite in Blowout Of Giants