Getty Eagles rookie DeVonta Smith hauled in a toe-tapper for a touchdown in Week 16 against the New York Giants.
DeVonta Smith had to endure two separate booth reviews before his four-yard touchdown catch was officially ruled a scoring play. The officials were waiting to look at additional angles of Smith’s tight-rope walk along the sideline.
The Philadelphia Eagles were rewarded for their patience with six points. Well, seven if you count the extra point. That critical score put them up 20-7 with 4:07 left in the third quarter. After the game – a 34-10 victory over the New York Giants – Smith was asked to compare that highlight-reel grab with the toe-tapper he made in Week 15 versus Washington.
“I would say the one today was better because I was going backwards. I kind of felt like Michael Jackson,” Smith told reporters. “With your momentum, you have to know how to have your feet and things like that and what you can do.”
.@DeVontaSmith_6 moonwalking into the end zone
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has been watching Smith since their college days together at Alabama. He doesn’t view the 10th overall pick as a rookie. Smith’s commitment to his craft mirrors a guy who has been in the NFL for 10 years.
“DeVonta may be in his first year, but he’s a true pro in how he prepares and the different things that may come up in the game,” Hurts said. “That’s a big-time play and a big time moment in the game. That’s two weeks in a row he’s made big-time, toe-tapping plays dragging that foot. It’s something we practice all the time, we preach all the time.”
Smitty Smitty Bang Bang
The latest Eagles news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Eagles newsletter here!
Lane Johnson Gets Football Back From Fan
Lane Johnson enjoyed one of the most emotional games of his nine-year career in midnight green after hauling in a five-yard touchdown pass. The play – called “East Texas” because he and Hurts both hail from there – extended the Eagles’ lead to 27-3 and sent Lincoln Financial Field into pandemonium.
Johnson didn’t know what to do for a celebration having never scored a touchdown before. Thinking on the fly, the 325-pounder tried to do a “Lambeau Leap” into the stands.
“What was worrying me was that I was wearing those thumb guards that are all like plastic, so I can’t really bend my thumb,” Johnson said. “I’m just glad I caught it and after that, I tried to do a Lambeau Leap, but I guess our gates are pretty tall.”
Let’s give credit to these fans for holding up 310-pound offensive lineman Lane Johnson for his touchdown celebration
Before he jumped up, Johnson handed the football to a fan wearing a green flannel shirt. Players like to keep those things for their personal trophy cases, so the Eagles reached out to the guy and got the ball back for their starting right tackle.
“We got it back, so we’re going to hook-up the guy that got the ball,” Johnson said. “But when I was running there, that was the first guy I saw and I just gave it away to him. I knew he was happy.”
Eagles Get Well-Deserved Two Days Off
The Eagles posted a video of Nick Sirianni’s post-game victory speech on Twitter. In it, the first-year head coach praises the team for overcoming adversity. And gutting it out for all four quarters after the first two didn’t go well.
“That’s why they play four. That’s why they play four quarters,” Sirianni said. “The third and the fourth quarter went really well for the offense. Great job. We overcame adversity and we’ve been overcoming adversity all year. We’ve been doing it all year. We need to continue.”
Johnson broke the team down by saying: “East Texas on three … one, two, three.” The right tackle can also be heard saying that the Eagles have the next two days off. Their bodies need time to heal up after playing two games in six days.