In the Saints game, it was a Braden Mann punt getting blocked when Nolan Smith missed whiffed on a block.
In the Bucs game, it was Cooper DeJean’s fumble after teammate Isaiah Rodgers recklessly plowed into him as he called for a fair catch.
In the Browns game, it was a Jake Elliott field goal attempt getting blocked and returned by long-time Eagle Rodney McLeod for the Browns’ only touchdown.
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Three games, three special teams “catastrophes,” as Eagles special teams coach Michael Clay calls them.
Not a good trend. The Eagles escaped with close wins over the Saints and Browns but got blown out by the Bucs.
Eagles special teams has done a lot of good things this year, but those three plays are the kind of plays that just can’t happen.
“There have been three really bad plays that mar some good special teams plays that we have had,” Clay said Tuesday. “When you have three catastrophic plays, those are things that do kill a season, kill a team right there. We have to make sure we get rid of those going forward against the Giants.
Philadelphia Eagles
“It falls on me. I've got to do a better job in a situation of telling these guys, high alert for this. It could be high alert for a punt rush or high alert for a jumper in a gap, things of that nature. Guys moving, trying to get us offsides if it is a longer field goal.”
Back in 2022, Eagles special teams were awful, finishing 31st in Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings. They rebounded and finished 10th last year, but the last few weeks have been disastrous.
Clay said one thing he learned from 2022 is the importance of maintaining an even keel all the time. He wasn’t necessarily making a statement about any other coach, but it was an interesting comment nonetheless.
“I think I learned a lot for myself a few years back,” he said. “Talking to the players, especially the specialists, they never want to see you change who you are in terms of – if you are super angry at some point, for example, they may think you're pressing, or you're feeling something. I try to come in here every day the same person regardless.”
There have been positives on special teams.
The Eagles lead the NFL in covering kickoff returns. Braden Mann is sixth in punting average. DeJean has done a nice job returning punts in Britain Covey’s absence. Jake Elliott has been perfect on attempts shorter than 57 yards. Guys like Rodgers, Kelee Ringo, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Jalyx Hunt have been terrific core guys. Rodgers blocked a PAT that Ringo returned for a touchdown.
But it’s the catastrophic plays that keep Clay awake at night.
“I hear from coaches that I have much respect for, (including assistant special teams coach Joe Pannunzio), if there weren’t coaching moments, we wouldn't have jobs,” Clay said. “If there were computers telling you what to do in an app.
“So when players do make mistakes, you have to take it as a learning curve not just for that moment, but for the rest. Because in the NFL, until you prove you can stop it, you're going to see it again. So it's more being able to explain to them how we want to do it, how to correct it, know it's coming, and then once it comes again – it may be dormant for a couple weeks – it's going to come back until you can stop it multiple times.
"And again, it's five weeks in. Do we want those three? Absolutely not. That falls on me. But we have 12 more opportunities to put all those aside, and by the end of it, we should be happy with what we want to put out there.”