Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore calls out Eagles TE Zach Ertz for ‘crying’
New England Patriots’ cornerback Stephon Gilmore did not hold back when talking about Eagles’ tight end Zach Ertz after the game on Sunday.
At this point in the season, it has become pretty obvious the Philadelphia Eagles offense is not who we thought they were. Granted, they were missing three of their top playmakers on Sunday, but when some of the top guys are out — other critical weapons do not seem to step up.
One of the most important players on the Eagles offense is undoubtedly the tight end, Zach Ertz. As he’s like another receiver out on the field, the Eagles tend to lean on Ertz more than anyone in the passing game. Unfortunately, defenses have made it hard to do that this season.
We don’t believe Ertz is on the decline. However, he isn’t as dominant as he was in past seasons. Now the result of that is Ertz is becoming visibly frustrated on the game tape, which helps defenders get into the tight end’s head early on.
Stephon Gilmore exposes Ertz’s tendencies
After Sunday’s loss against New England, Patriots’ cornerback Stephon Gilmore was asked about stopping Eagles’ tight end, Zach Ertz. While Gilmore did credit Ertz for being a “good tight end” and a “great player,” he still wouldn’t hold back from his more critical assessment.
"“He was crying,” Gilmore said, via NBCSportsBoston.com. “He does that on film a lot. If you get into him. If he don’t get the ball or he don’t get a call, he’ll cry. But he’s a good receiver. He’s a good tight end. He’s a great player . . . He’s a great player, but when he don’t get his way, he’ll complain to the ref.”via ProFootballTalk"
Now, it’s unlikely that Gilmore meant that Ertz was literally crying on the field. It seems more like Ertz was continually complaining to the refs looking for a call. Regardless of what Ertz was actually doing, though, it’s still a very bad look for the Eagles’ offense.
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If the most talented, and sometimes most reliable player on the team can’t remain composed, how are the Eagles supposed to settle down and focus as an offense? Ertz is a seasoned veteran and is expected to lead by example. Lately, we’ve been seeing more calls for flags from other wideouts, rather than fighting for the ball. Apparently, the veteran tight end is doing the same. Hopefully, Gilmore’s assessment is a wakeup call for the Birds — because they need one.