PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles were trying to add more points late in the second quarter of Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. Looking to move the ball downfield quickly, quarterback Jalen Hurts looked to his left and threw the ball to tight end Dallas Goedert alone as Goedert moved toward the sideline.
Using his speed and quickness, Goedert ran up the sideline and picked up 19 yards, helping the Eagles come away with a field goal before halftime. Goedert’s ability to run after the catch has made him into another weapon downfield that can make plays.
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Goedert’s after-the-catch effort has placed him fourth in the league in yards after the catch (106), trailing Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Eckler (123) and Miami Dolphins wide receivers Tyreek Hill (112) and Jaylen Waddle (112).
Goedert said that his mentality after catching the ball has helped him increase his yards after the catch totals.
“People think of a big back as 220-pound players, and I’m running at 250,” Goedert said. “I feel like I can move pretty well. I feel like the defense, especially the defensive backs, are more scared of me than I am of them, so I just try to be physical and punish them. They don’t want to tackle, and they want to go low or whatever, but just trying to run through them and make them not want to talk to me the next time.”
The numbers Goedert are putting up are something the Eagles had wanted after they traded Zach Ertz to the Arizona Cardinals last season. Goedert, who has eight catches for 142 yards, said he can still do even better.
“I feel like I’ve been playing pretty well,” Goedert said. “Obviously, there are a few plays here and there that you lose a little bit of sleep over and wish you could have back but starting 2-0 makes it all feel better.”
Goedert also said that the offseason work he has put in and the time he has spent with Hurts had led to his early season success, stating he has to continue that process to keep increasing his numbers.
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Goedert will have a chance to do so Sunday against the Washington Commanders. After reviewing the video of what the Commanders have done in their first two games, Goedert said the Commanders have a good defense, but he feels confident in how the Eagles can attack them.
“We have a good game plan going into it, and we are excited,” Goedert said. “It depends on what they do, but we have a lot of different options of things that we can get to depending on what fronts they are in and what coverages they are in, but it should be a fun game. Hopefully, we will continue to do what we have been doing for the last two weeks.
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Goedert has a chance to buck an early season trend that the Commanders have set for themselves. In their games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Detroit Lions, the Commanders have held opposing tight ends to eight catches for 79 yards and no touchdowns. However, the presence of Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith on the outside and Quez Watkins in the slot could create more space for Goedert to operate. The Eagles have set themselves up to make that happen by some of the formations they use.
Against the Vikings, the Eagles kept all three receivers to one side and had Goedert lined up alone on the opposite side. With the coverage moving over toward Brown, Smith, and Watkins, it allowed Goedert to have a one-on-one matchup against a safety on the other side. Given his size, Goedert has a chance to rack up some catches and yards.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at [email protected].