Getty Eagles tight end Zach Ertz finished with nine catches for 94 yards Sunday during the Eagles' 17-10 loss.
Stephon Gilmore might be the best cornerback in football. He wasn’t interested in listening to any whining after beating the Eagles.
Gilmore was tasked with containing Zach Ertz for much of Sunday’s game and couldn’t help notice the Eagles tight end complaining a lot to the officials. Ertz finished with nine catches for 94 yards in a 17-10 loss to New England.
According to Gilmore, Ertz was “crying” when he didn’t get the football or didn’t get a penalty call. It was actually a trait the Patriots cornerback had noticed on the game film leading up to Sunday.
“He was crying,” Gilmore told NBC Sports Boston. “He do that on film a lot. If you get into him. If he don’t get the ball or he don’t get a call, he’ll cry. But he’s a good receiver. He’s a good tight end. He’s a great player. He’s a great player, but when he don’t get his way, he’ll complain to the ref. But who don’t do that?”
Gilmore bottled up Ertz for most of the game as he picked up 57 of his 94 total yards in the fourth quarter. Still, Ertz’s nine catches were the most the Patriots’ defense has allowed to an opposing receiver and his 94 yards were the second-most given up.
“I kind of knew the plan they had for me. I feel like I played alright,” Ertz told reporters, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I’ve got to watch the film. Just extremely disappointed with that second-to-last drive.”
Lane Johnson Heads Into Concussion Protocol
Starting right tackle Lane Johnson left the Eagles-Patriots game midway through the second quarter and never returned. He was ruled out with a concussion and Halapoulivaati Vaitai took over for him. After the game, New England head coach Bill Belichick appeared to take a subtle jab at Johnson.
On Monday, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson addressed the media and updated Johnson’s injury status. He is officially in the NFL’s concussion protocol, specifically in the first stage of a five-stage process to return.
Vaitai would likely be the starter if Johnson isn’t cleared by Sunday, but Pederson didn’t rule out throwing rookie Andre Dillard into the fire. Pederson mentioned that Dillard will get reps at right tackle this week during practice.
Lane Johnson is in the concussion protocol, per Doug Pederson. He’s in Stage 1 of the five-stage process and could be out next week.
Big V filled in for Johnson vs. Patriots but Pederson said Andre Dillard would work in at RT this week at practice. #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
Doug Pederson Comments on Nelson Agholor Drop
Did Nelson Agholor drop the game-tying touchdown in the back of the end zone? He was certainly being trolled on social media for appearing to let another big play slip through his grasp.
Carson Wentz heaved a desperation throw on 4th-and-10 from the 26-yard line and the ball bounced off Agholor’s fingertips. It would have been a highlight-reel catch, but one that could have been hauled in. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson thinks the wind may have misdirected it.
“It would have been a heck of a catch. I don’t know if the wind got a hold of it,” Pederson told reporters. “It would have been a spectacular catch.”
Pederson also elaborated on what would have happened if Agholor caught it. The Eagles were trailing 17-10 at the time and the coach would have elected to kick the extra point there and send the game into overtime. Of course, he never had to make that decision as the ball fell incomplete.