Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
Grading a trade after one game is premature, but it’s clear that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman hit a home run with edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, who starred in the Eagles’ Week 10 victory over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Monday night. Just one week after being acquired from the Miami Dolphins for a third-round pick, Phillips made an immediate impact both as a pass rusher and run stopper, helping Philadelphia’s defense hold Green Bay to seven points. With 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, Phillips made the game’s defining play, powering through Packers tight end Luke Musgrave’s block to stop Josh Jacobs on fourth-and-1 from the 44-yard line, preventing a potential game-winning touchdown drive. “I just felt super grateful,” Phillips said about his Eagles’ debut. “This is the first time in a while that I’ve gotten a little emotional before a game. ... Coming here is my first time at Lambeau, walking out through that tunnel. I mean, it doesn’t get better than that. So, yeah, I’m definitely grateful.” Getting Phillips for a late Day 2 pick could be a massive steal. Before Phillips joined the room, the Eagles’ pass rush flashed potential but lacked consistency. Nolan Smith returned to the starting lineup against Green Bay after five weeks out and recorded a sack, while Jalyx Hunt got his second sack of the season, showing great upside. But Phillips was the difference maker, posting eight pressures, seven hurries, six tackles, two quarterback hits and a fumble recovery. Soon, he could turn the Eagles’ defense into a championship unit for the second straight year. “Felt amazing energy from the guys,” Phillips said. “There’s just an air of confidence, and everybody played together. We had a great game. Honestly, super gritty. So, yeah, I’m just grateful to be here, for sure.” Phillips played with confidence, drawing on his familiarity with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system from their time together in Miami during the 2023 season, plus a week of studying the playbook. On Green Bay’s opening drive, Phillips bull-rushed Packers right tackle Zach Tom into Jordan Love, setting up Hunt’s sack from the left side. Phillips nearly brought down Love himself, but the quarterback spun into Hunt for the takedown. Right before halftime, Phillips drove Tom back into Love again as linebacker Nakobe Dean forced a fumble, which Phillips recovered, stopping the drive just short of the red zone. Not only does Phillips give the Eagles a true No. 1 pass rusher, he also strengthens their run defense with his 6-foot-5, 263-pound frame and power at the point of attack. “Everybody talks about pass rush, but truly you can’t rush the passer unless you stop the run,” Phillips said. “It’s a bit of a pride thing, really. You can kind of see pass rush is more finesse, more like sexy. But stopping the run is gritty. It’s hard and it takes toughness. And that’s what we showed.” Phillips’ performance earned him a game ball from Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who praised his effort. “That fourth down play signifies the kind of physicality that the man has,” Sirianni said. “I think about his week of practice and how he goes about his business. Man, he loves football. He loves working. You could just see it. The way he was running around at practice. His motor is constantly, constantly running. (He’s) with Wash (Eagles defensive ends coach Jeremiah Washburn) all the time, just pushing to get better.” Philadelphia entered Week 10 ranked 23rd in total defense, but that number should improve over the final two months of the season. The Eagles boast elite linebackers, two top-tier cornerbacks in Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, a talented interior defensive line, solid safeties, and now a loaded edge rush group led by Phillips, once considered one of the league’s best young pass rushers before suffering consecutive season-ending injuries in 2023 and 2024. Now 26 and in his fifth season, Phillips could be poised to return to that elite trajectory. His pass rush ability could mask weaknesses at the second cornerback spot and also make star defensive tackle Jalen Carter’s job easier. “He came up big, man,” Carter said about Phillips. “I couldn’t really see him because I’m fighting my own blocks. But every time I got up, he’s always at the ball, he’s hustling.”
