Ten defensemen have been named Tremendous Bowl MVPs.
Haason Reddick might be part of that listing this weekend.
Signed by the Philadelphia Eagles within the offseason, Reddick racked up a profession season as his 16 sacks signify a profession excessive. The go tamer additionally compelled 5 fumbles this yr, additionally a profession finest.
With Reddick within the combine, the Eagles have been among the best defensive passes within the NFL this yr, particularly when throwing 4 or much less from the entrance. In response to Sports activities Data Options’ chart knowledge, the Eagles recorded 203 pressures this season once they rushed 4 or fewer, the sixth most within the NFL through the common season.
In addition they pressured the passer in 34.6% of their snaps when throwing 4 or fewer, the fourth highest within the NFL.
Within the playoffs, Philadelphia managed to boost the bar. Once they rushed 4 or much less, the Eagles put stress on their opponents’ passers a staggering 60.5% of the time. In fact, that solely occurred in two video games – wins over the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers – however these numbers present what Jonathan Gannon has at his disposal: a unit that may trigger issues for the opponent. crime, with the minimal assets required.
Learning Reddick this season, you see the whole image of the fashionable striker. He combines athleticism and explosiveness on the sting with a well-rounded toolbox as a defender.
It would not take lengthy to seek out an instance exhibiting this spectacular mixture.
Take that first sport, from Week 17 in opposition to the New Orleans Saints. That is the primary of Reddick’s two sacks this sport, and right here he’s working in opposition to Landon Younger’s proper sort out. Watch Reddick use a “wrench” transfer in opposition to Younger, slamming his fingers into the defender earlier than knocking him off stability and ending off with Andy Dalton’s sack:
Within the fourth quarter, Reddick scored his second sack of the sport, this time reaching Dalton with an inside spin:
It is a incredible transfer from Reddick and is the proper instance of a go attacker who involves the desk with a plan. Reddick presses on Younger’s outer shoulder, forcing him to open and expose the interior belt. Then Reddick spins him. By stressing Younger on the skin, Reddick creates each a line – and a chance – to beat him from the within.
Throughout Philadelphia’s Week 15 win over the Chicago Bears, Reddick made a number of extra strikes in opposition to Chicago (pun meant). The primary was a rip transfer he used in opposition to tight finish Cole Kmet to get to Justin Fields within the second quarter:
Later within the match, Reddick confirmed his power and size in opposition to Alex Leatherwood’s proper sort out. Watch because the passer closes the house between him and the sort out earlier than beating him out:
The final instance of Reddick’s off-the-edge skill comes from Philadelphia’s win over the Giants in Week 14. Working in opposition to Evan Neal’s proper sort out, Reddick executes a chop transfer on the sort out, slamming his proper hand violently into Neal’s forearms and knocking the sort out off stability:
Along with the chopping transfer Reddick makes use of right here, you additionally see his imaginative and prescient and consciousness as a passing thrower. When he falls over the sting, Daniel Jones tries to climb into the pocket. Reddick notices this and stabs Neal as he goes residence to get the sack.
At this level, you will have seen a typical thread amongst these 5 examples.
Everybody opposes a correct sort out.
The truth is, most of Reddick’s manufacturing this season has come from the offensive proper. In response to SIS chart knowledge, Reddick’s 56 pressures this yr – and 13 of his 16 sacks – got here when he was working on the offensive proper. Reddick additionally tied this edge for 721 of his 907 snaps.
Are you standing in Reddick’s approach on Sunday? Kansas Metropolis Chiefs proper sort out Andrew Wylie. Wylie began his profession from the within out however settled into the best function on the finish of 2021 and landed a beginning place for the season. In response to chart knowledge from Professional Soccer Focus, Wylie has allowed 9 sacks this season, the fourth most tackles this season and probably the most in Kansas Metropolis.
Learning these baggage, you see some commonalities with those we have seen from Reddick. On this bag from Maxx Crosby in Week 18, you see Crosby punching Wylie in a ripping movement as he bends over to get at Patrick Mahomes:
Right here in opposition to the Buffalo Payments in Week 6, Von Miller makes use of an inside spin, much like what we noticed with Reddick in opposition to the Saints:
Then to wrap up, on this Week 18 bag Sam Hubbard of the Cincinnati Bengals makes use of his personal chop transfer in opposition to Wylie earlier than defeating a proper assault outdoors:
Proper now, based on DraftKings Sportsbook, Reddick has the very best likelihood of any defensive participant in Tremendous Bowl LVII to win MVP, sitting at +3500 and simply forward of the Chiefs’ defensive sort out Chris Jones.
This nonetheless places Reddick behind each quarterbacks in addition to Travis Kelce, AJ Brown, Miles Sanders, DeVonta Smith and Isiah Pacheco.
Nonetheless, this sport may very well be arrange for Reddick to placed on an enormous efficiency. As we’ll cowl later this week, the Eagles are one in every of – if not probably the most – full groups within the NFL. They will beat you in many various methods. On protection, it begins with their skill to press with 4. It is an previous drained cliche, the flexibility to place stress with 4 gamers.
However Philadelphia can do it, and Reddick is a giant cause. If he has the form of sport that’s attainable, he might be part of a really unique membership on the finish of the night time.