Eagles odds and ends: Fred Johnson is the new unsung hero

Midway through the week now, the Eagles' focus is fully turning toward the Buccaneers for the NFC Wild Card rematch down in Tampa. 

Before we shift ourselves, here are a few odds and ends left over from last Sunday's win against the Saints...

'Hell yeah, Fred!'

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The Eagles lost both Mehki Betcon and Lane Johnson in the first half of last Sunday's game against the Saints, and for an offense that was already struggling to generate much of anything, the wheels could've easily fallen off right then and there, and most wouldn't have been surprised. 

But then Tyler Steen stepped in at right guard for Becton and was aces – you can check out Jimmy Kempski's film review of him HERE. 

Fred, a journeyman lineman who had hardly played since 2021, stepped in for Lane and didn't miss a beat.

Saquon Barkley took off for his momentum-breaking touchdown run, the Eagles rallied to win, and Johnson's performance didn't go unnoticed as his teammates shouted "Hell yeah, Fred!" in the locker room as Philadelphia's newest unsung hero spoke to the media postgame.

It meant the world. 

"I mean, it's been a long time since I played ball, bro," Johnson said. "It's been what? Three years?...I was like...after that touchdown with Saquon, I almost cried on the sideline. I ain't gonna lie. I got emotional. I got real emotional, because I thought I'd never be back in action.

"Everybody knows some of my story. It's just been a long time coming, and when I saw him run in and score...I got hype, I got real hype. Then I was just grateful for the moment and ready to go back out and do it again."

'Faith in us'

Pat McAfee Show

A couple of days removed from the Eagles' win over the Saints and his big performance within it, tight end Dallas Goedert went on The Pat McAfee Show to touch on a number of topics regarding the team. 

Perhaps inevitably, Goedert was asked about head coach Nick Sirianni and the heavy criticism he's taken around Philadelphia for his fourth-down decision-making over the past couple of weeks. 

Goedert stood by his coach.

"It's always tough to be a coach in Philadelphia," Goedert said. "Even when you win, they want your head, and don't think you're doing the right thing.

"But we got all the faith in Sirianni. He's got all the faith in us, which is really cool. That's why he goes for it on fourth down so much, because he trusts his players and we trust him, and I think more so than the calls he makes we gotta execute better as players and make sure we're able to get the job done."