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Nick Sirianni credits unsung tone setter in Eagles’ Wild Card win over Packers

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After securing a commanding win over the Packers, Nick Sirianni credited this unsung hero for really setting the tone for the Eagles.

Though the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers had to duke it out for a full 60 minutes to decide which team would advance in the 2025 NFL Playoffs, it certainly felt like the former was in the driver’s seat pretty much from the jump in the lopsided contest.
Okay, technically, it took one play for momentum to fully fill Philly’s sails, but fill them it did, as on the opening kickoff of the game, reserve linebacker Oren Burks dropped the hammer on Packers return man Keisean Nixon, leading to a forced fumble, incredible field position, and six quick points on the board from the fabled Jalen Hurts-to-Jahan Dotson connection, which, as it turns out, exists.

Asked about his team recording such an incredible play to open up the game, Nick Sirianni credited Burks for being one of the unsung heroes of Philadelphia’s season, as he’s stepped up on special teams for Michael Clay and even on defense for Vic Fangio when Nakobe Dean left the game in a walking boot.

“It was a tone setter. [LB] Oren [Burks] has been a really good player here for us the entire season. He went in there and played well. When [LB] Nakobe [Dean] went down at linebacker as well, he played well last week at linebacker, but he’s always been a spark for us on special teams. I remember [Executive Vice President/General Manager] Howie [Roseman], when we signed him, he said, ‘Hey, this guy is one of the best third, fourth linebackers in the NFL,’ and we were so excited to get him. He’s a special teams stud, and he’s shown that. I think he’s forced two fumbles now this year on special teams, but that was a big time hit,” Sirianni told Eagles reporters.

“Big emphasis for us this week because [Packers CB Keisean] Nixon is a phenomenal football player. I have so much respect for their special teams coach and their assistant coach, who I actually had a chance to work with as well. They’re really good coaches. I just can’t say enough about Green Bay and their players and their coaches. That’s a good football team. But just a big time play by Oren and [K] Jake [Elliott] by placing it in the right place. Jake was phenomenal kicking the kickoffs today. Then we just beat the blocks that we needed to beat in that particular case and made a big time play to — you can’t start a game better than that. Last time we played them, it didn’t start great for us. It felt like two years ago, but it didn’t start that great for us.”

There’s no doubt about it; when Burks leveled Nixon, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. came up with the ball, it was probably the play of the game, right up there with Dotson’s touchdown and Dallas Goedert’s game-clinching TD at the end of the third. Granted, Burks wasn’t exactly elite on defense when he took over for Dean at middle linebacker, with Trotter Jr. hopefully getting the nod next week if the Georgia product can’t go next week. But that incredible forced fumble will go down as a true highlight of the Eagles 2024 season, as it effectively changed the game before it even started.

 

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