Philadelphia Eagles: Who are the unsung heroes of the playoffs?

Derek Barnett, DE

Eagles rookie first-round pick Derek Barnett has had a memorable season. On part-time snaps, he finished out the season with 21 tackles and five sacks. Although Vinny Curry still remains ahead of him on the depth chart, it doesn’t mean Barnett hasn’t made his case to get more snaps. As the season progressed, Barnett proved that he could hold his own in a heavy rotation for the defensive front.

To be honest, Barnett hasn’t been much of a killer in the playoffs according to the stat sheets. He had zeroes across the board against the Atlanta Falcons and only registered two tackles against the Minnesota Vikings. But to say he hasn’t been a threat to opposing teams quarterback’s would be bogus.

His highlighted play of a sack-fumble against the Vikings may have been the biggest turning point of the NFC Championship game. He killed an excellent drive put together by Case Keenum and the Vikings. Had Barnett never forced the fumble, the Vikings would be right back into the game. He not only killed the opportunity for them to tie the game up going into the half, but he killed their spirits moving forward as well.