PHILADELPHIA -- James Casey was determined to rush St. Louis Rams punter Johnny Hekker as if nobody had blocked him. He just couldn’t believe it would actually happen that way.
“Coach talks about it all the time,” Casey said. “It’s really rare, that you ever just come free, that they just don’t block you. That was my mindset. I was expecting to come free, and I did.”
For the second week in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles got touchdowns from their defense and special teams. A few minutes after Casey’s punt block, outside linebacker Trent Cole jarred the ball loose from Rams quarterback Austin Davis. Defensive end Cedric Thornton recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. In the third quarter, Thornton recovered another fumble and returned it 40 yards to set up another Eagles touchdown.
“It all correlates together,” Thornton said. “Special teams had a great game. Defense and offense just have to pick it up and play four quarters.”
Eagles special-teams coach Dave Fipp called for a specific play in order to attack the Rams’ punt team early. It was different from last week’s punt block in San Francisco, but similar in that it brought pressure up the middle.
Casey said the Rams’ center veered toward Bryan Braman, the linebacker who blocked the punt in San Francisco. That opened a lane, and Casey ran through it. He got his hand up and blocked punter Hekker’s kick. The ball skidded to the left, where Eagles safety Chris Maragos scooped it up. Maragos returned the blocked kick 10 yards for the Eagles’ first touchdown of the game.
When Maragos decided to leave Seattle as a free agent, this is what he was looking for. A chance to make an impact on special teams. With four touchdowns through five games, the Eagles’ kicking units deserve a lot of credit for the team’s 4-1 record.
“The biggest thing for us,” Maragos said, “is being consistent for this team, trying to help this team win any way we can. Field position, big plays, whatever that looks like. Guys really believe we can make a difference. Good things are happening when you do the right stuff. It’s an honor to play special teams here.”
Thornton had a similar outlook. Cole and Brandon Graham made the hits that forced two fumbles. But Thornton was quick to get to the ball.
“Our coaches on defense hound on it,” Thornton said. “We want turnovers. Turnovers equal victories. We had three in this game, and it equaled a victory. (Defensive coordinator) Billy Davis talks about it all the time, getting turnovers."
