Can the Eagles expect more late-season heroics from Greg Ward?

What a way to put away the Washington Football Team! We have to talk about Greg Ward and his knack for rising to the occasion at the back end of the season. In one of Week 15’s final two games, the Philadelphia Eagles wideout hauled in two receptions for 28 yards, one of which was the game-sealing touchdown on a beautiful ball from Jalen Hurts.

Ward made a fantastic adjustment and flashed his hands late to prevent the corner from making a play. That isn’t the first time we’ve seen him come up clutch in December.

Everyone remembers the situation two years ago. The Birds sat at 5-7 after the loss to Miami. They would have to not only run the table but do so with the likes of Ward, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Robert Davis, and Deontay Burnett playing the bulk of the snaps at wideout. Even tight end Josh Perkins had to briefly step in at wideout during the Monday Night game versus the Giants. Heading into that stretch, the staff at ITI had Ward pegged as a potential breakout star for the last four games.

It wasn’t anything flashy but ‘G Ward’ got the job done during the late-season run. He snagged 21 catches, racked up 209 yards, and even notched a crucial game-winning touchdown at FedExField.

It was certainly an upgrade from what the Eagles had gotten from their other wideouts earlier that season. Seven of those 21 catches came in the fourth quarter. In the last four meaningful games of the 2020 season (excluding Week 17), Ward posted 11 catches for 119 yards and three touchdowns.

Five of those catches were third or fourth-down conversions. All three of his touchdowns came on third or fourth down. 44 of his 83 career receptions are first downs.

Will the Philadelphia Eagles see more late-season heroics from Greg Ward?

When the chase for the playoffs is in full swing, Ward shows up in some of the biggest moments by either moving the chains or finding the endzone. He isn’t going to be a WR1 or a starter. He may go without a catch until the final drive but the catch he does make is going to be pivotal.

In Week 15, he did it again. His touchdown near the midpoint of the fourth quarter gave the Eagles a 27-17 cushion.

Just a few weeks ago, fans were rightfully upset about Ward’s drop in the endzone in New Jersey at MetLife Stadium versus the New York Giants. That one that came right before halftime and preceded a Jalen Hurts interception that took ruined any chance of putting points on the board.

Overall, he hasn’t contributed at the same rate that he did last year (or the year before). That’s largely due to the drop-off in his snap count. Fans still wanted to see more from their WR4 when he was called upon earlier this year.

There has to be some hope that he can get in a bit of a rhythm with just a few more reps each game especially on third down, in the red zone, and at the end of games when it matters most. Right now would be the ideal time for him to heat up and put the early part of the season behind him.

This game might have just been the start of another stretch run that includes some clutch plays from Ward along the way, The other day, we wrote about sub-radar Eagles who could help the playoff run. Ward isn’t exactly a sub-radar Eagle anymore after making a name for himself in 2019, but he is certainly going to be a key role player in these last three games. ’84’ is money in crunch time. It’s time to put it to the test once again.