Jalen Carter, Now DROY Betting Favorite, with a Behemoth of a Performance in Tampa
It was 10-3 Eagles on Monday night when Jalen Hurts threw a red zone interception after a miscommunication with D’Andre Swift.
No big deal.
On the ensuing possession, Jalen Carter remedied the situation, first contributing to a group sack on Baker Mayfield before clobbering Rachaad White and getting the ball back for the Birds, who would then kick a field goal to go into halftime up 13-3.
The rookie DT finished with two tackles, a half sack, and a quarterback hit, but thanks to Athlete Dynasty, we have a better idea of how nasty he was in Tampa:
Jalen Carter all snaps vs Buccaneers – week 3 pic.twitter.com/bGg2mKWPxO
— Athlete dynasty (@athlete_dynasty) September 26, 2023
That was a pleasure to watch, and I’ve logged every snap here:
- pushes Matt Feiler backward 1v1
- shoves Tristan Wirfs aside, gets a hand on Mayfield, flushes him from pocket
- Bucs run to other side of the line, loss of yardage
- beats Cody Mauch to the inside
- double teamed by guard and center
- double teamed and knocked down
- quick screen
- double teamed
- quick screen
- double teamed
- gets by Luke Goedeke for a hurry, Mayfield incomplete
- double teamed
- bulldozes Mauch, group sack
- double teamed, forces fumble
- beats Mauch inside, forces Mayfield to step up
- double teamed, Nick Morrow makes tackle for safety
- double teamed
- double teamed
- double teamed
- Bucs throw quick fade
- 1v1, tries to swat ball down
So if I got that correct, he was double teamed on 10 of 21 snaps on Monday night, close to 50%. That’s going to be the case when you’re rushing four against a typical Tampa front, but still, this guy is a rookie and commanding a ton of attention from opposing lines. He’s got a quick first step and shuffles laterally inside or outside to skirt guards and centers, which is crazy for a guy who is 6’3″ and more than 310 pounds. He’s already the betting favorite for defensive rookie of the year (+110) with five tackles, two forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and two QB hits. He might go to the Pro Bowl as a rook.
I am hereby requesting that we do away with the “Baby Rhino” nickname and think of something better. We need a larger beast. That’s why I used the word “behemoth” in the headline.
“I play for them and I play for my team.”
It was a sweet night for Jalen Carter, who was able to play in front of his family. | @Lundy_Law pic.twitter.com/smQe7qoMGE
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 26, 2023