It’s that time of the year when all eyes are on the NFL playoffs. The spotlight is shining brightly on the Philadelphia Eagles and Florida native, Jalen Carter. The young second year pro from a small Florida town is garnering attention from his current home crowd, the Philly faithful, and also from fans from his hometown as well as from all corners of the football world. He has people holding their breaths and waiting to see what this defensive tackle will do next.
Yes, you read that right. Carter is a defensive tackle, not exactly what the pundits tend to salivate over. They prefer the skilled position players they proclaim as stars, the kind of football players that have the freakish athleticism to electrify stadiums, or compel televised sports broadcasts to show replays of his game-changing plays.
Creating Opportunities from Florida Roots
Yet the player that got his start in the small city of Apopka, just outside of Orlando, is doing all these things and more. Fans are compiling YouTube videos chock full of Carter’s highlights with can’t-miss plays from his games. He is challenging fans and analysts to redefine what a star is in the world of professional football.
Carter is turning heads and garnering attention at a rate that will make the skilled position players jealous. All that started before last weekend’s Wild Card playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers.
Prior to the game, CBS Philadelphia’s Pat Gallen interviewed a former fullback of Philly lore, Jon Ritchie. Ritchie proclaimed to everyone before this year’s playoffs even started:
“Jalen Carter is special, and he’s going to open everyone’s eyes because he’s double and triple-teamed and still making plays. He’s about to explode into national conscience this weekend, next weekend, the weekend after that because he’s going to be making ridiculous plays that help our team in the postseason when it matters the most.”
Jaw-Dropping Revelation on the Football Field
That presaged last weekend’s playoff game on Philadelphia’s home field. Ritchie spoke with so much conviction; what he witnessed from Carter this season filled him with certainty. Wouldn’t you know that Jalen Carter would deliver a heart-stopping play at a crucial point in the game? It was 2nd and 13 in the 3rd quarter and the opposing quarterback, Jordan Love, was forced to pass into tight coverage. That amounts to playing right into Philadelphia’s hands. He had to force a pass into a very tight window of opportunity. The opportunity blossomed for Jalen Carter as he reached up and batted the pass down.
There was no chance that ball was getting to its target. The drive would stall and the Packers would produce only three meager points in the entire 3rd quarter before losing the game 10-22.
The tight coverage by Philadelphia’s secondary threw off the quarterback’s timing and made the quarterback force an ill-conceived throw. That, in turn, gave the defensive line the opportunity to make things happen. The prediction by the former Eagles fullback came to fruition, and his words proved to be very relevant to what we saw unfold on the field.
In case all that was not reassuring enough, Carter understands the domino-effect of playing a synchronous brand of team-oriented football. “I cannot be great without the greatness of others.” This playoff battle of two NFC rivals showcased how a beautifully orchestrated symphony can result from teammates creating opportunities for each other.