While the Philadelphia Eagles' defense was dominant in the absence of their star defensive tackle Jalen Carter, wow, did he make an impact right away in his return from his shoulders procedure.
Carter had not played since last month after injuring both shoulders. He mentioned that the pain was so bad that he was not able to do any push-ups at that time.
In his return in Week 18 against the Buffalo Bills, Carter looked to be in midseason form right away as he helped the Eagles win 13-12. He finished with four pressures, three hurries, three quarterback hits, two tackles, one tackle for loss, and one extra point block in the victory.
Jalen Carter made life miserable for Josh Allen and the Bills
For a guy who is having a down season compared to what he did last year, Carter looked to be the same guy Eagles fans remember. Before the game, the NFL knew he could play at a high level, which resulted in the league naming him to his second straight Pro Bowl.
In 11 games, Carter has racked up 33 tackles, 17 pressures, 12 quarterback hits, seven pass deflections, five tackles for loss, three sacks, and two blocks. He might be missing the mark on some of the stats from last year, but Carter is still proving to be getting pressure on the quarterback, disrupting the passing game, and even making an impact on special teams.
The difference between this season and last year is that one injury has caused Carter to miss multiple games. Also, he is getting more help from the defensive tackle position as Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo are becoming dominant forces in the middle as well, with career years.
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Eagles fans hope Carter remains healthy and ready to go for the rest of the season, as he will be needed for this top-five defense to help the team repeat as Super Bowl champions. The team would join the fan base in saying how good it is to have Carter back dominating on defense again.