The Eagles bookended a historic season by beginning it with the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Detroit and ending it with another ST honoree during the 22-16 win over the New York Giants that clinched the NFC East and the No. 1 seed in the conference for the 14-3 Birds.
Zech McPhearson was the standard against the Lions and kicker Jake Eliott made all five of his field-goal attempts, including two of over 50 yards (52 and 54), while accounting for a career-best tying 16 of Philadelphia’s points against the NYG, to win the award for his performance last Sunday.
For Elliott, this is his third-career Special Teams Player of the Week award, having previously won the award in Week 11 of the 2021 season and as a rookie in Week 3 of the 2017 season. He joins Stephen Gostkowski (seven-time winner) as the only former Memphis kicker to win the award at least three times.
Kicker Cameron Dicker, who filled in for an injured Elliott in Week 5, also won the award for Philadelphia this season for his effort against the Arizona Cardinals when he had a game-winning FG in his first professional game. Dicker has since taken over the kicking duties for another playoff team, the AFC’s Los Angeles Chargers.
Elliott also became only the second player in Eagles’ history to make two 50-plus field goals in a game, joining Paul McFadden, who did it on Nov. 4, 1984, at Detroit. The long-distance kicks extend Elliott’s continuing franchise record of 50-yarders to 20 and the veteran has made eight of his last nine attempts from 50-plus.
As a team, POTY awards were a regular occurrence for the Eagles this season.
In addition to the three ST Player of the Week awards, Jalen Hurts won the Offensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks, 12 and 13. Hurts was also the NFC Player of the Month for September. Four defensive players also were honored in the weekly-award category: Defensive end Brandon Graham did it twice in Weeks 3 and 14. Cornerback Darius Slay won it in Week 2 and edge rusher Haason Reddick was honored in Week 4.
