Getty Jason Kelce celebrates after the Eagles Super Bowl victory.
Clutch is a term that sometimes gets cheapened. In simple terms, it refers to a player that delivers against incredible odds. For example: Nick Foles hitting Golden Tate for a game-winning touchdown in the playoffs. But what truly defines a clutch player?
Pro Football Focus recently released The 2018 NFL Clutch Team and some of the names on the list may surprise you, especially the guys wearing midnight green. Two Eagles made the final cut: Jason Kelce and Dallas Goedert. PFF was very specific in its criteria, defining “clutch time” as plays in the fourth quarter of games within seven points and the players selected needed 100-plus snaps in those situations. Here is how the stats-driven website broke it down:
Jason Kelce: ‘Clear-cut top center in the league’
According to PFF, there was no one better at his position in the league. Kelce’s grade in the fourth quarter of close games was 86.6, with an 85.5 run-blocking grade. He also dominated in non-clutch situations where his 82.9 grade was tops. Kelce took first-team, all-clutch honors over Oakland’s Rodney Hudson. Here is the full report on Kelce:
“When you look at all snaps, Kelce was the clear-cut top center in the league last season with an overall grade of 83.6. That was even more apparent in the fourth quarter of close games, as Kelce’s grade rose to 86.6 — a full 8.5 points above the second place Hudson. It was his 85.5 run-blocking grade that really set him apart. He was one of only three centers to eclipse the 75.0 mark in clutch time.”
Jason Kelce had the league’s top run-blocking grade among centers a season ago
Kelce’s inclusion should be no shock to anyone. If you have ever watched the “All-22” or any highlight reel of the outspoken center, he’s always following his running backs all the way down the field and delivering wedge-clearing blocks. It has become Kelce’s trademark. Back in 2017, Kelce credited offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland for a slight change in technique for allowing him to flourish, particularly with the way he positioned his hands.
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“In particular, (my) hands. I think if you look at a couple games early (last year) it seems like I always have my hands outside,” Kelce told NBC Sports in 2017. “Sometimes if you’re heavier you can get away with that, but when you’re already undersized and you’re losing that aspect of power, you’re losing the leverage game, you’re (going to struggle). Bad technique as well as being undersized is a bad recipe for an offensive lineman.”
Dallas Goedert: ‘Efficient in his time on the field’
This one was a bit of a head scratcher, even to the most diehard Eagles fan. More impressively, he beat out Rob Gronkowski to take the top spot. The rookie tight end barely sniffed the 100-snap prerequisite for the list, but his 11 targets for 83 yards and a touchdown stood out to the committee. Apparently, it was that 75-yard catch-and-run that was called back due to a penalty in Dallas that ultimately put Goedert over the hump. Here is the full report:
“Goedert only just made the snap threshold, though as his spot on the top of the list would suggest, he was efficient in his time on the field. His run-blocking grade of 66.7 ranked seventh at the position, but he made his biggest impact in the passing game. His numbers look pedestrian at just eight receptions on 11 targets for 83 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers, however, do not take into account a 75-yard contested catch that was brought back for a penalty in which he forced two missed tackles. The PFF grade does take that into account, and it’s part of the reason Goedert ended up at the top of the list.”
Expectations are running high for the second-year tight end. Did you see him smashing home runs Friday night at Carson Wentz’s charity softball game? Goedert is big, athletic and guaranteed to be a key to the Eagles’ red-zone offense this season. Expect his snaps to multiply considerably, meaning plenty more targets and touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Mike Groh couldn’t hold back a smile when speaking about Goedert at OTAs.
“We’re very excited about Dallas. He is a very talented guy,” Groh said last Tuesday. “He had a very productive rookie campaign. I know he’s just as excited as anybody to get out there and do it again this fall.”
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