Getty Haason Reddick earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the Philadelphia Eagles.
New York Giants quarterback Davis Webb was still in awe of Haason Reddick three days after losing his first career start. His team dropped the regular-season finale 22-16, allowing the Philadelphia Eagles to clinch the NFC East and NFC’s top seed.
Webb, a former third-round pick turned practice squad player, was solid in fill-in duty while going 23-of-40 for 168 passing yards and 1 touchdown. He also ran six times for 41 yards, including an impressive 14-yard score where he steam-rolled Eagles safety Reed Blankenship. But it was Philly’s ferocious pass rush that had the quarterback on edge all afternoon, particularly what they were saying on the field. Fletcher Cox was the most vocal, according to Webb (via Pat Leonard), but Haason Reddick was the “scariest one.”
Giants QB Davis Webb said Eagles DT Fletcher Cox kept talking between plays Sunday about getting the NFL sack record. Brandon Graham, too:
"We want this record!"
I'm like, "I'm sure you do!"
"Haason Reddick didn't say much. That was the scariest one. All of them are good." 😂
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) January 11, 2023
“We battled and [the Eagles] are a really good team,” Webb told reporters after Sunday’s game. “They’re the number one seed in the NFC. We took them four quarters. I wish myself, first, and the offense, second, got off to a better start. But, that second half was really fun and that’s something I’ll never forget.”
The Eagles registered two sacks against the Giants, courtesy of Kyzir White and Zech McPhearson. The Eagles were trying to break the single-season sack record in Week 18 but fell three quarterback takedowns short. Their 70 combined sacks this season set a new franchise mark, although the all-time NFL record is 72 which was set by the 1984 Chicago Bears.
However, the 2022 Eagles are the only team in NFL history to have four different players — Haason Reddick (16), Brandon Graham (11), Javon Hargrave (11), and Josh Sweat (11) record at least 10 sacks in a single season. Dominant.
Haason Reddick ended up having a better season than Micah Parsons
More sacks on fewer pass rushes
More sacks when it mattered (Since Nov he has 10.5 to 5.5 for Parsons)
More forced fumbles/meaningful sacks
Should be All-Pro over him
Reddick Earns NFC Defensive Player of the Month
Reddick has enjoyed a breakout year in his first season with his hometown team. The Camden, New Jersey native exploded for 16 sacks, tied for the second-most in the NFL while racking up a league-leading five forced fumbles. He also recorded 49 tackles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 26 quarterback hits in 2022.
Reddick — the pride of Temple University — has now been named NFC Defensive Player of the Month after a dizzying stretch where he racked up 8 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 18 tackles, and a fumble recovery in the final six games. He is only the third NFL player since 1999 to produce 16+ sacks, 5+ forced fumbles, and 3+ fumble recoveries in a single season.
Additionally, Reddick became the first NFL player to produce 10+ sacks in three consecutive seasons with three different teams. Safe to say the self-titled “Weapon of Mass Destruction” has been worth every penny of his $45 million deal. Reddick is an aboslute monster.
Josh Sweat Returns to Practice, Updates Injury Status
Defensive end Josh Sweat returned to the practice field on Thursday as the Eagles got a light practice in during their bye week. His status for the postseason remains in question to everyone not named Josh Sweat. The one-time Pro Bowler expects to play.
“Physically, I mean I was good after a couple of minutes, but emotionally I just want to be out there,” Sweat told reporters, via Eliot Shorr-Parks. “That’s all I care about, that was the hard part for me, just missing that game and then the next one. Knowing that I could have just been a part of that fun that was going on. I’m good now, though. I moved past it and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Josh Sweat (neck) has returned to practice today.
Head coach Nick Sirianni was cautiously optimistic when he addressed Sweat’s status for the playoffs. He’s hopeful, not certain.
“Anything can happen, but we know he’s trending in the right direction of getting healthy,” Sirianni said. “That’s a good thing because he brings so much to this defense. We feel his presence every time that he’s out on that field.”
Nick Sirianni says Josh Sweat is “feeling better.”
Sirianni said Sweat made a push to play in Week 18, but team made executive decision to hold him out. Sirianni is hopeful Sweat will play in the Divisional Round. Sweat had career-high 11 sacks and 23 QB hits over 16 games