Eagles’ Javon Hargrave lastly wholesome and again to dominating

HOUSTON — Javon Hargrave was off to a sluggish begin this season.

By the primary six video games, Hargrave had only one sack and easily didn’t appear like his regular disruptive self. However apparently, he was nonetheless coping with a toe damage that had lingered since coaching camp.

“I believe that bye simply actually helped me recover from it,” Hargrave mentioned.

Yeah, protected to say he’s over it.

As a result of within the two video games for the reason that Eagles’ Week 7 bye week, Hargrave is on an absolute tear.

After a two-sack recreation towards the Steelers on Sunday, Hargrave adopted it up with a three-sack efficiency towards the Texans on Thursday night time within the Eagles’ 29-17 win. That’s 5 sacks in two video games. Heck, that’s 5 sacks in 5 days.

Thursday was the primary three-sack recreation of Hargrave’s NFL profession and the primary for the Eagles since Brandon Graham did it towards the Jets in 2019. And Hargrave is the primary Eagle with back-to-back video games with 2+ sacks since Connor Barwin in 2014.

Along with the three sacks, Hargrave additionally had three further hurries, in accordance with ProFootballFocus, so six whole pressures within the recreation for the second straight week.

“Man, simply persistence, man,” mentioned Haason Reddick, who’s now second on the group in sacks. “I keep in mind speaking to him a pair weeks in the past, coming proper out of the bye. He was somewhat pissed off as a result of he was at one sack for a short time. I used to be simply telling him, ‘Man, it’s going to return. Your time goes to return.’ These final two weeks, man, he’s been balling.

 

“5 in two weeks? Loopy, man. I simply hope that he retains it up. He’s a baller for us. We would have liked him to have a recreation like this. I’m simply comfortable for him, I’m pleased with him as a result of he’s a kind of guys, he is available in daily and he works. In the present day he lastly acquired the outcomes from the work he’s placing in.”

Hargrave, 29, went on an identical tear at the start of final season when he had six sacks within the Eagles’ first 5 video games however then had simply 1 1/2 the remainder of the way in which however was nonetheless named a Professional Bowler. Sacks aren’t all the time essentially the most correct approach to assess go rush and so they are available bunches, particularly for No. 97.

However when they’re taking place? Oh, it’s enjoyable.

“You simply really feel comfortable, extra assured,” Hargrave mentioned. “You simply see being constant and placing within the work, that it pays off.”

Reddick is aware of that feeling effectively.

“You are feeling such as you’re on high of the world,” he mentioned.

It is a contract yr for Hargrave, who’s in his third season with the Eagles. And you may make a case that he’s one of the vital vital Eagles for this upcoming stretch run. Not solely will they be relying on his go rush potential, however the Eagles may also want him to assist fill the void left by Jordan Davis, who’s out for no less than a month with a excessive ankle sprain.

Along with his duties within the four-man entrance, Hargrave on Thursday needed to play nostril sort out within the Eagles’ odd-man entrance. And there was a notable distinction when he was in that spot in comparison with others, which is probably going why we noticed him there rather more within the second half.

However anticipate to see Hargrave play a number of spots the remainder of the way in which.

“Yeah, I believe it’s fairly enjoyable to play totally different positions,” he mentioned. “You get totally different seems in all of them. It was simply working right now. I used to be having enjoyable right now.”

The primary six video games of this season had been a tad irritating for Hargrave however he tried to only belief that the manufacturing would comply with so long as his course of was stable.

It labored.

“I believe I simply keep optimistic each recreation,” Hargrave mentioned. “I do know I don’t actually press too exhausting and I do know any recreation could possibly be my recreation. I simply carry on working and comfortable certainly one of them days got here.”

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