Jason Kelce has silenced his critics with bounce back season

The two-time Pro Bowler is back to being an elite center.

There is no question that Jason Kelce had a poor 2016 season for the Philadelphia Eagles. The veteran center was overpowered by quite a few of the defensive linemen that lined up across from him. It was apparent that his undersized frame had finally caught up to him. Though he was selected to the Pro Bowl, the belief was a lot of that had to with other factors that had nothing to do with Kelce.

As a matter of fact, many pundits and fans were calling for the two time Pro Bowler’s release in order to save money. According to Spotrac, the Eagles would save $5 million by releasing him. Also, the coaching staff was very high on second-year offensive lineman Isaac Seumalo, and they were looking to plug him into Kelce’s role. The team also resigned guard/center Stefan Wisniewski, who is more than capable of starting at center.

Despite the criticism, Kelce has bounced back in a big way in 2017. He not only has been an unsung hero for the team’s 9-1 start, but he’s shown he can be dominant.  As of Week 11, Pro Football Focus rated him as the #1 rated center in the NFL.

Back to the basics

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What made Kelce a great center was his athleticism and his rare ability to effectively pull. This made up for his lack of size. Former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly utilized his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses. Current Head Coach Doug Pederson started to do the same this season. Kelce is pulling a lot more than last season.

Kelce’s dominant play was on full display in the Eagles 37-9 rout of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night. He opened up holes on both the Kenjon Barner 4 yard touchdown run as well as the Corey Clement 11 yard touchdown run. He also had a key block in second level on the big 71 yard run by Jay Ajayi as well.

Here’s an example.

Check out Kelce on Corey Clement‘s touchdown run.

You’ve seen the long gain by Eagles running back Jay Ajayi over and over again. What you may have missed, however, was what Kelce was doing.

Take a look.

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There is no denying that Kelce has been a huge bright spot this season. Hopefully, his stellar play continues as the team prepares to take on the toughest part of their schedule. They face NFC powerhouses such as the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams on the road. There’s also another game with the Cowboys at home to finish the season. They will also play the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and the Oakland Raiders as well. Each of the remaining teams on the Eagles schedule all have stellar defensive lines and Kelce’s services will certainly be needed.