Eagles Keep Taking Shots In The Return Game

Any time you walk off an NFL game with a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown by a 330-pound defensive tackle turned part-time sprinter, it’s a memorable day for an NFL special teams coordinator.  

And the Eagles’ Michael Clay got plenty of upbeat questions Tuesday on the heroics of Jordan Davis during Philadelphia’s stunning 33-26 comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams. 

However, being the boss means you have to answer for everything, and Clay also had to address the Eagles’ kick return woes against the Rams and knuckelball specialist Joshua Karty.

Neither Tank Bigsby nor John Metchie seemed to have any idea how to handle Karty’s unique kickoffs, which would have made Phil Niekro proud. Unfortunately, for the returners, they were not allowed a mitt the size of a garbage can lid to corral the football. 

“Kudos to Karty,” Clay said. “We had a sense obviously in the first two games watching him against Tennessee and Houston that he had that knuckleball, and we were trying to replicate it as much as we possibly could throughout the week.”

It wasn’t enough for Bigsby or Metchie, who combined for five returns for only 55 yards, a performance that consistently started a struggling Eagles’ offense with poor field position.

Whether by circumstance or not, the waiver claim of return specialist Xavier Gipson on Monday was notable coming off the game.

"I think [GM] Howie [Roseman] does a great job of always scouring players that either get cut or are on the street of that nature,” Clay said. “Xavier coming out of Stephen F. Austin we really liked in terms of his explosiveness in both kickoff return and punt return, and he has breakaway speed right there, and he showed that early on in his rookie year."

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