DG
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2. Here's a much better look at the extra long dreads of Dannell Ellerbe, as he prepares for his 2nd career Super Bowl during practice on Feb. 1, four days before the game. Unfortunately these dreads weren't on the field much during the game. Ellerbe played only 10 snaps, and 7 of those were on special teams. He finished the game with no stats.
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3. Also participating in the Eagles' practice on Feb. 1 are DE Steven Means (left photo) and rookie CB Sidney Jones (right photo). It turned out that Means and Jones were practicing only to make their teammates better. Neither of them was in uniform for the game, as they were two of the team's 7 inactive players. Another Eagle with dreads, WR Marcus Johnson, also was inactive.
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4. Now at the NFL Honors show on the night before the game, New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara receives his award after being named the league's offensive rookie of the year. Kamara's 14 TD were second most in the league, trailing only .....
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Waddle and Darby certainly weren't alone. 5 of the 9 players with dreads in uniform had their dreads reduced.
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8. On the second play from scrimmage Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore makes his 1st tackle of the game, coming forward quickly after a catch by WR Nelson Agholor in the right flat on 2nd and 6 and stopping him in the open field, hanging on and holding him to a 2-yard gain as Agholor tries to break the tackle at the 32-yard line.
The Eagles converted on 3rd and 4 though, and the drive continued.
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9. 6 plays later RB Jay Ajayi carries the ball for the first time on a sweep right and is hit and dropped by LBs James Harrison (#92) and Elandon Roberts (#52), but not until after he gains 4 yards on 2nd and 3 for a 1st down at the New England 27-yard line.
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The Eagles settled for a 25-yard FG on the next play and took the lead 3-0.
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Waddle was on the field for only 7 snaps all game; and it's a good bet all of those snaps were on plays the Patriots were attempting extra points and field goals.
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14. ..... Not until Blount gets past the Patriots' 45-yard line does S Duron Harmon begin to close in on him, and not until he gets to the 40 does Harmon first try to tackle him. Harmon fought off Blount's stiff-arm and made the tackle at the 34. The 36-yard gain was LeGarrette's biggest of the game.
A 34-yard TD catch by WR Alshon Jeffery on the very next play put the Eagles back in front 9-3.
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15. The Patriots' next drive ended with a missed FG early in the 2nd quarter, and the Eagles followed that with a three-and-out possession. Then on the first play of the Patriots' next possession Ronald Darby has a close-up view as S Malcolm Jenkins lays a crushing hit on WR Brandin Cooks. After beating (badly) Darby on his route and making the catch at the Eagles' 40, Cooks turned to run after the catch and was focusing only on getting by Darby and didn't see Jenkins coming in from behind like a freight train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhMUR5Y_rIU ..... Cooks gained 23 yards on the play but he sure paid for them. He left the game with a concussion and did not return. The drive ended 4 plays later with an incomplete pass on 4th and 5.
I thought the loss of Cooks was going to hurt the Patriots' offense; but they didn't seem to miss him at all, did they?
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But the drive stayed alive after the Eagles converted on 3rd and 7 on the next play. And 2 plays after that .....
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20. On 2nd and 10 Alshon Jeffery, after beating the coverage of S Patrick Chung, tries for an over-the-shoulder catch inside the 25-yard line. Stephon Gilmore, anticipating that Jeffery would beat the coverage of Chung, drops off of his coverage of WR Torrey Smith (#82) on a short route; but he's too late .....
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The Eagles' 65-yard drive came to an end on the next play .....
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22. After taking the handoff and cutting through another big hole in the Patriots' D-line, LeGarrette Blount gets all the way to the 5-yard line before meeting any resistance, which comes in the form of DBs Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon; and LeGarrette ain't gonna let those little guys stop him .....
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23. ..... He takes it to the house, as Harmon finds Blount much easier to tackle after he's already over the goal line. The 21-yard TD run upped the Eagles lead to 15-3 with 8:48 remaining in the 2nd quarter .....
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24. Blount punctuates his most satisfying TD of the season by spiking the ball with all of his might. Take that, Patriots!! It was LeGarrette's 11th career playoff TD but his first ever in a Super Bowl.
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25. After the Patriots got a FG on their next drive to make the score 15-6, it was more of the same for the Eagles' offense on the 3rd play of their next drive. This time it's Jay Ajayi's turn to gash the New England D. After taking the handoff on 3rd and 4, he's already 10 yards past the line of scrimmage when Duron Harmon makes a weak and futile attempt to stop him .....
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26. ..... The J-Train is 10 yards further downfield when James Harrison takes a swipe at him from behind, bumping him just enough to knock him off balance .....
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But his joy would be short-lived, because on the very next play .....
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29. ..... The Eagles go deep to Alshon Jeffery again, but this time (finally) he is covered by Stephon Gilmore. With Gilmore all over him, Jeffery goes up and tries to make a leaping, one-handed catch; but as he comes down, he doesn't quite have control of the ball .....
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30. ..... As Jeffery lands and Gilmore goes down, Jeffery still can't get a handle on the ball, unable to pin it against his right shoulder. Then as Jeffery goes down (right photo) he tries to snatch the ball with his left hand but instead tips it into the air ... and up for grabs .....
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The Patriots took possession at their 10-yard line, and on the 2nd play of the possession .....
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But on the next play the Eagles committed a holding penalty on 3rd and 6 to give the Patriots a 1st down, and then 5 plays after that .....
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After the incomplete pass on 3rd and goal, the Eagles went for it on 4th down and made it, scoring on a TD catch by QB Nick Foles on a trick play, upping their lead to 22-12 with 34 seconds remaining in the 1st half.
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36. The Patriots came out smoking in the 2nd half, going 75 yards in 8 plays on their first drive. The last 5 yards come on this TD catch by Rob Gronkowski, who easily beats Ron Darby on 2nd and goal. Darby bit on Gronkowski's fake move to run an out route to the left and couldn't recover in time when Gronk quickly cut back to the right. That made the score 22-19 with 12:15 to play in the 3rd quarter.
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39. ..... And 3 plays later the 85-yard drive comes to end on a 22-yard TD catch by RB Corey Clement on 3rd and 6, immediately after which Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount come charging off the bench to celebrate with him in the end zone. Ajayi gets there first. Clement's TD put the Eagles up 10 again, at 29-19 with 7:18 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
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40. On the 4th play of the Patriots' next drive WR Chris Hogan gets open over the middle against the coverage of Ronald Darby and makes the catch on 2nd and 9. Darby drives his former teammate (with the Bills in 2015) into the ground at the New England 48-yard line after a 16-yard gain. Darby was visibly upset after the play. I think he wanted an offensive PI penalty called against Hogan; but come on, Ronald, they never call that.
Hogan, covered by someone else, finished the 7-play, 75-yard drive with a 26-yard TD catch 4 plays later, pulling the Patriots back to within 3, at 29-26 with 3:23 to play in the 3rd.
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The drive ended 5 plays later and not with a TD, for a change. The Eagles settled for a 42-yard FG on the second snap of the 4th quarter and led 32-26.
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But the Patriots converted on 3rd and 3 (of course) on the next play, and 5 plays after that .....
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43. ..... Ronald Darby doesn't fare so well against Rob Gronkowski, getting beat for a 4-yard TD catch on a fade route on 2nd and goal. Darby covered Gronk a little better than on the TD in the 3rd quarter but still, as you can see, not nearly closely enough.
This TD capped the Patriots' 3rd straight 75-yard drive, and they took the lead 33-32 with 9:22 remaining.
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44. Trailing for the first time, the Eagles nearly went three-and-out on their next possession; but on 3rd and 6 TE Zach Ertz makes the sliding catch in front of Stephon Gilmore for a 7-yard gain and a huge conversion. The Eagles lined up in a trips formation to the left, and Gilmore was lined up too far off of the line of scrimmage to make a play on the ball, arriving just a split second too late, much to his disappointment. This was the 4th and last tackle of the game for Gilmore, but the drive continued; and it ended 11 plays later with Ertz diving into the end zone for an 11-yard TD reception on 3rd and 7, putting the Eagles back in the lead 38-33 with 2:21 to play.
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Blount was then tackled for a 1-yard loss on 3rd and 5 on the next play, after which the Eagles settled for a 46-yard FG, increasing their lead to 41-33 but keeping the Patriots very much alive with 1:05 to play.
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48. After the final pass is incomplete, Ronald Darby isn't too tired to raise his arms in triumph (left photo) - and relief. Moments later he embraces S Corey Graham (right photo). Graham, a member of the 2012 Ravens, is now a 2-time Super Bowl winner.
Football is a team sport, so Darby and Graham are allowed to celebrate even though Tom Brady carved up the Eagles' D to the tune of 505 yards passing. Darby was on the field for all 76 snaps of the carnage. He finished with 4 tackles (4-0) and 2 PBU.
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50. Stephon Gilmore (left) and Brandon Bolden (right) head for the locker room while the wrong-colored confetti showers down on them. Gilmore played all 75 defensive snaps for the Patriots' defense and finished with 4 tackles (4-0) and 2 PBU. Bolden was on the field for 18 snaps (17 on special teams, 1 on offense) with his dreads reduced (but not as badly reduced as Gilmore's) and had no stats.
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51. LeGarrette Blount and Coach Belichick hug and shake hands after the game. Blount's career was in a downward spiral when Belichick acquired him from Tampa Bay in a draft-day trade in 2013; so LeGarrette's got a lot of love for his former coach.
Because he came into the NFL without being drafted Blount has not attained the fortune that a lot of players worse than him (who were drafted) have. He's never made more than $2.1 million in a single season; and after playing 8 years his career earnings are just $7.8 million. But without Belichick helping him revive his career, he might have made far less than that.
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53. CB Patrick Robinson, the only Eagle with dreads too short to be seen when his helmet is on, is overcome with emotion (left photo) and is consoled by a member of the Eagles' staff after winning his 1st career Super Bowl in his 1st season on the team (and 8th season in the league). Later a happier Robinson (right photo) spends some time with his family, hugging one of his two sons, as the celebration continues on the field. Robinson, who did not have dreads when the season began, was on the field for 63 snaps and finished with 3 tackles (3-0).
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54. Jay Ajayi celebrates by himself (left photo) after the final play of the game then, during the celebration after the game, wears a champion T-shirt as well as the flag of the United Kingdom. In case you didn't know Ajayi was born in London (the one in England) and moved to the United States when he was 7 years old. He's the 5th British born player to win the Super Bowl, and my guess is he's the first to drape the Union Jack around himself after winning it.
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The 41-33 victory was the Eagles first win ever in a Super Bowl (in three tries) as well as the franchise's first NFL championship since 1960. Indeed it was the best season ever for many Eagles fans. And I hope they enjoyed it, because they are about to find out just hard hard it is to repeat as champions.
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OK. Tired of looking at photos of the reduced dreads ofthe likes of Stephon Gilmore, LeGarrette Blount, and Ronald Darby? Me too. But don't worry, because now we're going to see some long dreads that aren't reduced. In fact, the rest of the DG section includes photos of some of the best dreads in the NFL. In my Week 21 report I picked an All-Pro with dreads team, featuring (mostly) great players regardless of what their dreads looked like. This week I now introduce my choices for the Dread All-Pro team, a team of players with great dreads regardless of how great, good, or mediocre they are as players.
And they are my choices, entirely. There was no panel of voters, no fancy points system to earn your way onto the team. Just my opinion. And since everybody else also has an opinion too, don't be shy about expressing yours if you feel the need to.
I lowered my standards to make sure everybody had a fair chance to be considered for the team. To be eligible all you had to do was play in at least one regular season or playoff game and have your dreads out to your maximum number of locks (that is, not reduced at all) for at least one game. Simple enough; and yet even with the bar set that low, several players made themselves ineligible, guys like Alex Collins, Isaiah Crowell, and J.D. McKissic. But instead of crying over them, let's focus on the players who had their dreads right.
I picked the team by position (just like the real All-Pro team), meaning this isn't a roster of the 24 players with the best dreads; instead it's the best one, two, or three at each position. So without any further delay, let's conclude the DG section with the players I picked for the 2017 Dread All-Pro team.
59. In Super Bowl 52 we saw LaAdrian Waddle with his dreads reduced. Here's how great they look when they aren't reduced, as he blocks superstar LB Von Miller (left photo) in the Patriots' Week 10 road win over the Broncos and as he exits the Week 11 game against the Raiders with an injury (right photo). Waddle grabs one of the two OT spots on the team .....
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60. ..... And the other goes to Joe Barksdale of the Chargers, helping up QB Philip Rivers (left photo) after he was hit in Week 4 vs. the Eagles and from before the Week 12 game against the Cowboys (right photo) on Thanksgiving.
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61. Adam Gettis and Josh Allen did not play in any games in 2017, so the dreads at the G and C positions aren't as good as they could have been. At center, Demetrius Rhaney, signed in mid-November, played only 2 snaps all season for the Redskins. And after the league re-did all the teams' websites earlier this year, all of the 2017 practice photos from the Redskins' site were gone; so I included this shot of Rhaney (right photo) from one of the team's workouts in the 2018 offseason.
One of the guard spots goes to Billy Turner of the Broncos and his two-tone dreads, shown (left photo) vs. the Giants in Week 6, the only game he played.
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62. As long as James Carpenter's dreads are, they're still not nearly as long as they could have been. Carpenter, stretching before playing the Dolphins in Week 7 (left photo) and on the move in the Jets' road win over the Browns in Week 5 (right photo), already had long dreads when he first came into the NFL in 2011. If he had just let them continue to grow, they'd be really special by now. But they aren't bad at all, even after cutting them a bit shorter at least one time since then. Lining up at G, Carpenter rounds out the O-line.
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63. The only TE worthy of inclusion on the team is also serving as the QB. So instead of a TE, there are three WRs on the team, and one of those is Colts rookie Krishawn Hogan, tackling WR Tyler Lockett on the 2nd half opening kickoff (left photo) in Week 4 and being tackled by LB Elijah Lee (right photo) after catching a lateral on a punt return in Week 5. Unfortunately this was the play on which Hogan injured his knee (torn ACL), forcing him onto the IR list.
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64. Benefiting the most from my decision to have a third WR on the team is Chris Moore of the Ravens, who finally let his dreads out late in the season after having them reduced during the first half of the season. Moore, catching a pass vs. the Colts in Week 16 (right photo) and trying to make a catch vs. the Browns in Week 15 (left photo) needs to raise his game to the level of his dreads. In his 2nd NFL season he caught 18 passes for 248 yards and 3 TD; but he also had two deadly plays where catchable passes deflected off his hands and ended up being pick sixes for the defense.
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65. We have now arrived at the "in memoriam" portion of the Dread All-Pro team, where we mourn the loss of dreads that we saw in 2017 but will not be seeing in 2018. That's right, the third WR and both of the RBs I picked all have cut off their dreads since the end of the season, not quite giving me a heart attack but certainly bringing me much sorrow.
The other WR, of course, is Sammy Watkins, making a catch during warmups (right photo) before playing the Giants in Week 9 and sitting on the bench (left photo) during the Rams' Week 10 home win over the Texans. I was all excited when Watkins signed with the Chiefs as a free agent. But after he showed up at training camp without these dreads, which he had for 12 years ..... well, I'll still a big Sammy Watkins fan, but it just won't be the same.
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66. I don't which NFL RB has the longest dreads, but in 2017 Matt Jones of the Colts could make a pretty good argument for himself. Jones, on the sideline (left photo) in Week 2, while he was still on the practice squad, and at a practice early in the season (right photo), had his dreads grabbed while carrying the ball in games against the Eagles in both 2015 and 2016 while playing for the Redskins. But after being let go by Washington and signing with the Colts, he played only 5 games this season and carried the ball only 5 times. Sadly, if he makes anybody's roster next season, he'll be carrying the ball without having to worry if somebody will grab his hair and yank him down .....
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67. ..... And just as sadly, so will Rob Kelley. Only in the Redskins' season opener against the Eagles (both photos) did Kelley have his dreads flowing at full blast before succumbing to the temptation of keeping them (a little bit) reduced. Rob, who had his dreads violently grabbed in the same 2016 game vs. the Eagles that Matt Jones did (much less violently), was held to just 194 yards rushing in an injury-filled 2017 season. It'll be tough to watch him next season, when we'll be able to see the number and name on his jersey.
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68. The same as with the All-Pro with dreads team, Dolphins TE MarQueis Gray is needed at QB on the Dread All-Pro team, because there still are no real quarterbacks with dreads in the NFL. Actually MarQueis' dreads would earn him consideration for a spot on the team no matter what position he played. Not surprisingly Gray usually plays with his dreads reduced; but in these two games (in Week 5 vs. the Titans, as he sets to throw his only pass of the season on the left, and after the Week 15 game at Buffalo on the right) he had them all the way out, although hindered by the bands around them. For the 2nd half of the Dolphins' game vs. Tampa Bay in Week 11 Gray was up to #2 at QB on the depth chart. It would've been fun to see him get a chance to play QB, but it didn't happen: http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/11/20/dolphins-te-marqueis-gray-ready-to-let-loose-have-fun-if-needed-at-qb/
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69. Leading off the Dread All-Pro defense ..... at one of the two DE spots is none other than Jadeveon Clowney of the Texans, who joins MarQueis Gray and Joe Barksdale as the only three players to make both of my All-Pro teams. Clowney finds Colts QB Jacoby Brissett an elusive target on these plays during the Texans' two losses to the Colts, but his dreads certainly looked good while he was in pursuit. Jadeveon didn't have his dreads flowing at full blast like this for all of the games, and hopefully he will more often next season.
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70. I had a more difficult time picking the other DE before finally deciding to go with Jabaal Sheard of the Colts, shown trying to tackle Browns QB DeShone Kizer in Week 3 in the photo on the left. Sheard had his dreads reduced for too many games; but the few games they looked like this show he's worthy of a spot on the team.
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71. Whether he was in a Jaguars uniform in September and October or with the 49ers during the final 6 weeks of the season, Sheldon Day was an obvious choice for one of the two DT spots. With dreads like these, Day should never be on the field with them reduced; but unfortunately there were some games where he was. Day had 1 sack in his 6 games with the Jaguars then had those same numbers with the 49ers.
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72. When Steve McLendon of the Jets lets his dreads out, they hang down to the bottom half of the number on his jersey, and that's enough to convince me to put him on the team. McLendon's 1.5 sacks in 2017 brings his career total to an even 10 in his 8 NFL seasons.
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73. The easiest choice for one of the three LBs was Dannell Ellerbe, shown chasing Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott in Week 17 (left photo) and waiting for the Eagles' team picture to be taken one day before the Super Bowl (right photo). No complaints about reduced dreads with Ellerbe. Ever. Actually I can't say for certain Ellerbe has never played a game with his dreads reduced; but the vast majority of the time he has his dreads right, and I wish everybody else would follow his lead .....
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74. ..... Especially a guy like Erik Walden, who had these dreads flowing freely in far too few games for the Titans in 2017. Is Walden actually trying to get in Tom Brady's head (left photo, during the 2nd round playoff game)? Don't even waste your time, Erik. When Walden was a rookie in 2008, his dreads were just barely outside of his helmet; but after just letting them continue to grow, they've reached this point 10 years later.
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75. The third LB on the team is another veteran; although Kelvin Sheppard, in his 7th season, hasn't quite been around as long as Walden and Ellerbe. Sheppard, who has played for 4 different teams in those 7 seasons, tackles Raiders WR Seth Roberts (left photo) and tries to stop 49ers RB Carlos Hyde (right photo) on the Giants' two trips to the West Coast in Weeks 13 and 10.
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76. Most disappointingly the two CBs I chose for the team had their dreads going at full blast for only a combined 3 games in 2017; but it certainly was special when they did. Jason Verrett of the Chargers always has his dreads right, but he's usually injured. Verrett tries to jam Sammy Watkins (left photo) in Week 3 of the preseason and dives to stop Broncos RB C.J. Anderson (right photo) for his only tackle of the season in Week 1. After playing in the opener, Jason did not play at all in the final 15 games, his knee having still not properly healed from the surgery he had on it early in the 2016 season.
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77. When Stephen Gilmore turns his dreads loose, they're in the running for the longest dreads of any CB in the league. But after turning them loose for New England's games against the Saints (right photo) and Texans (left photo, returning his INT) in Weeks 2 and 3, he kept them reduced for the rest of the season - a decision which I did not understand and which aggravated me to no end.
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78. If I could, I would pick 4 safeties (at least) for the team. But since I only took two, some players who were worthy got left behind.
No way was I going to leave Tre Boston behind. At the end of the 2017 season quite probably he had the longest dreads in the league. The NFL leader among players with dreads with 5 INT in his only season with the Chargers, Boston barely missed the All-Pro with dreads team; but for the Dread All-Pro team, his name was the first one I thought of.
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79. Unless you're a Panthers fan or read the Panthers portion of the dreads focus section in my Week 21 report, you might not be familiar with the other safety on the team. But as you can tell from the photo on the right, where his dreads drop to below the bottom of the number on his uniform as he closes in on Titans RB Derrick Henry in Week 2 of the preseason, Dezmen Southward deserves to be on the team. And since he attained the minimum requirement of playing in one game in the regular season (Week 5 at Detroit), I was able to include him. I couldn't find a decent picture of Dez's dreads from that game; so you'll have to settle for the photo from the preseason as well as the one (left photo) of him from a May 25 OTA practice before the season.
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80. No, I didn't forget special teams. I picked I kickoff returner and a punt returner. The KR is someone whose name I've mentioned dozens of times in all the years I've been doing this blog, none other than Dwayne Harris of the Giants. In an injury-shortened 2017 season Harris touched the ball only 16 times; so there weren't a lot of good photos of his dreads from the 5 games he played. The one on the left, from Week 5 vs. the Chargers, was the best I could do. The other two photos, both from training camp, give you a better look at how awesome his dreads are. Dwayne's dreads might be a little harder to see next season, because he'll be wearing the black jersey of the Oakland Raiders.
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81. It was a tough choice for the PR with the best dreads. I gave the (slight) nod to Kaelin Clay of the Panthers over Travis Benjamin. Clay was in jersey #83 during the preseason (left photo); but after being traded to the Bills then being released then re-signing with the Panthers, he ended up in #12 during the second half of the season (right photo, from Week 13). Believe it or not, Kaelin is now back with the Bills again after signing with them as a free agent after the season.
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Once again, their names all together now, the 2017 Dread All-Pro team.
OT LaAdrian Waddle (NE)
G James Carpenter (NYJ)
G Billy Turner (DEN)
C Demetrius Rhaney (WASH)
WR Krishawn Hogan (IND)
WR Chris Moore (BAL)
WR Sammy Watkins (LAR)
RB Matt Jones (IND)
RB Rob Kelley (WASH)
QB MarQueis Gray (MIA)
DE Jadeveon Clowney (HOU)
DE Jabaal Sheard (IND)
DT Sheldon Day (SF)
DT Steve McLendon (NYJ)
LB Dannell Ellerbe (PHIL)
LB Kelvin Sheppard (NYG)
LB Erik Walden (TEN)
CB Stephon Gilmore (NE)
CB Jason Verrett (LAC)
S Tre Boston (LAC)
S Dezmen Southward (CAR)
KR Dwayne Harris (NYG)
PR Kaelin Clay (CAR)
Next men up (the runners up at each position) .....
OT Darrell Williams (SF)
G A.J. Cann (JAC)
C Deyshawn Bond (IND)
WR Larry Fitzgerald (ARIZ)
RB Devonta Freeman (ATL) (photo on right)
DE Will Clarke (TB)
DT Damon Harrison (NYG)
LB Pernell McPhee (CHI)
CB Richard Sherman (SEA)
S Jahleel Addae (LAC) (photo on right)
S Reggie Nelson (OAK)
KR Cordarrelle Patterson (OAK)
PR Travis Benjamin (LAC)
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PLAYOFF DREAD STARS
- Derrick Henry - Titans - 156 yards and 1 TD rushing on 23 carries, and 2 receptions for 35 yards in 22-21 road W over Chiefs in 1st round
- Tyreek Hill - Chiefs - 7 receptions for 87 yards, and 14 yards rushing on 1 carry in home L to Titans
- Alvin Kamara - Saints - 11 carries for 43 yards rushing, 4 receptions for 62 yards and 1 TD, and 2 kickoff returns for 50 yards in unbelievable 29-24 road L to Vikings in 2nd round
- Todd Gurley - Rams - 14 carries for 101 yards rushing, and 4 receptions for 10 yards in 26-13 home L to Falcons in 1st round
- Jerick McKinnon - Vikings - 40 yards rushing on 10 carries, and 11 receptions for 86 yards in 38-7 road L to Eagles in NFC Championship game
HOUSE OF DREAD
Sorry about that lack of dreads in the photo. I checked as many photos as I could, but there just aren't any good looks at the dreads of Hunt, Henry, and Robinson in the photos taken of them as they scored.
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HEAD DREAD
Nobody emerged as a clear-cut choice for the best player with dreads during the playoffs. There was some good, some bad for several players I considered. There was just mostly good for Stephon Gilmore. But defensive players bear the burden of having to be really special for me to name them the head dread; and try as he did, Stephon was not special enough. Ultimately the choice came down to the player with dreads who scored the most touchdowns in the playoffs or the one who scored no touchdowns but had a solid performance in all three of his team's victories. LeGarrette Blount scored a TD in each of the Eagles' playoff games and averaged 4.5 yards every time he touched the ball in the postseason; but I'm going to award the playoff head dread to Blount's sidekick, Jay Ajayi.
In the Eagles' difficult 15-10 win over the Falcons in the 2nd round Ajayi rushed for 54 yards on 15 carries and had 3 catches for 44 yards. His 32-yard gain on a screen pass on 3rd and 7 early in the 4th quarter with the Eagles leading by 2 was one of the most important plays of the game.
No doubt Ajayi would have had a big game in the Super Bowl too if his number had been called more often. But on a share-the-wealth night for the Eagles' offense (8 players had at least 49 total yards but no one had more than 108) he got only 9 carries and finished with 57 yards rushing.
If you like, you can click on the first link below for a story on Ajayi in the Philadelphia Inquirer from the day after the Super Bowl in which he more than once expresses his thanks for ended up with the Eagles after being traded off the Dolphins' sinking ship in the middle of the season. And/or click on the second link for Super Bowl highlights not only of Ajayi, but of his sidekicks, Blount and Corey Clement, as well. The threesome combined gained 255 total yards.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/eagles-win-super-bowl-2018-patriots-jay-ajayi-arsenal-england-corey-clement-20180205.html?arc404=true
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyyqpGChPs0
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NEXT?
Wow. I thought I'd never finish this report. I'm sorry it took so long, but changes at my workplace really tackled me for a loss this summer, with the result being I'm spending a lot less time in front of my computer than I want to.
I've got a couple more things to do from the 2017 NFL season, and I hope to do a preview of the 2018 season. But after that? ..... Well, you'll just have to wait and see because right now even I don't know what's next.
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