The Eagles win turnover battle and Saints rivalry with season-defining commerce

The Philadelphia Eagles wield spectacular stats throughout, but it surely’s their August commerce for C.J. Gardner-Johnson that has them successful their Saints commerce. 

Though some exterior of Philly might discover the town’s athletic success this yr shocking, those that bleed inexperienced know that the Eagles have been constructing towards this undefeated second for years. And for individuals who don’t know, normal supervisor Howie Roseman made it abundantly clear.

The success isn’t random: the Eagles are controlling the video games they’re in, constructing chemistry with calculated acquisitions. Josh Tolentino of the Philadelphia Inquirer recently noted how the Eagles are main the NFL within the turnover battle, recording zero fumbles throughs seven video games.

And their trades are figuring out properly, too. There’s been a lot ado in regards to the commerce connecting A.J. Brown with Jalen Hurts, a commerce has shortly registered as one of many top five quarterback/wide receiver pairings in Eagles historical past. The blockbuster mid-season commerce for Robert Quinn is already paying dividends as properly.

However there’s a vital, neglected commerce that enables the Eagles to guide the league in one other unbelievable method. When the Eagles traded a 2023 fifth-round choose and a 2024 sixth-round choose for security C.J. Gardner-Johnson and a 2023 seventh-round choose from New Orleans Saints on August 25, it proved to be a fortuitous determination for Philadelphia. Already, Gardner-Johnson is costing much less and producing greater than a 3rd of NFL defenses.

So as to add insult to damage, Gardner-Johnson alone now has more interceptions than the whole thing of his former protection in New Orleans.

Former Saints DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson proves to be one other Eagles hit in 2022

Roseman has each cause to be assured and each proper to remind Eagles followers of what he delivered to this group, even past the town’s first Lombardi.

There was a variety of fanfare when he scooped up Brown and Quinn, stars of their respective rights with reputations that preceded their Philadelphia arrival. Gardner-Johnson wasn’t as a lot of a headliner, though the 24-year-old defensive again did make the PFWA All-Rookie Staff in 2019. However this season, Gardner-Johnson already has 5 interceptions, which matches his 5 profession interceptions earlier than 2022. In eight weeks, he’s already matched his earlier profession complete — and exceeded the entire interceptions of ten totally different NFL groups.

In a method, Gardner-Johnson’s numbers are a sign of what to observe for within the postseason. A powerful, game-changing secondary is precisely what’s going to provide an edge to the Eagles, who’ve confirmed to be formidable on each side of the ball.

It’s additionally a regretful statement for these in New Orleans, who had nearly as many scuffles as a Saint as he did interceptions.