Pour It On

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles head to Buffalo this weekend for a late Sunday afternoon kickoff in a highly anticipated matchup versus an 11-win Bills team ranked second in the AFC East.

Josh Allen, the Bills’ reigning MVP quarterback, enters the game with a foot injury that limited him in practice throughout the week, but the Bills also boast another game-changer in running back James Cook, who leads the NFL in rushing with 1,532 yards and 12 touchdowns. Limiting their damage in this measuring stick game will be crucial if the Eagles are to pick up their 11th win.

In theory, weather permitting, the upcoming matchup should also reveal plenty in terms of the advancement of the Eagles’ offense, as the Bills have proven vulnerable in run support but the pass defense has been stingy, allowing an average of 167 yards per game. So, if you subscribe to the sentiment of minimizing wins against inferior opponents, such as the Raiders and Commanders, this game could go a long way in quelling that skepticism.

The Eagles survived a bad weather game against the Bills in 2023. Can they do it again Sunday, with rain in the forecast?

With that, here are some notable leftover storylines obtained this week from the Eagles locker room, exclusively compiled for my end-of-week notebook.

Jalen Carter returns

Not long after the Eagles’ locker room had opened following a forgettable Black Friday home matchup against the Bears in which the defense was gashed for 281 yards, star defensive tackle Jalen Carter spoke at his locker, cryptically alluding to dealing with something.

“It’s my problems to deal with,” he said at the time, adding that he wouldn’t elaborate.

The answer was revealed days later, when it was reported that Carter had undergone a procedure on both shoulders and was deemed week-to-week, but anyone watching the game that Friday presumably observed that Carter wasn’t playing like his usual, dominant self. He was adopting a finesse style, seemingly avoiding movements that would affect his injured shoulders rather than bullying opposing interior linemen. Something was amiss.

But following a brief layoff, Carter returns to the fold, fortifying a defensive line that admirably navigated his three-game absence. On Wednesday, Carter acknowledged that while his shoulders feel better, he’s still working on it daily to regain strength. There were a few times this week, Carter said, where he received quality knock-backs from offensive linemen, further indicating his shoulders were trending in a positive direction. He also said the injury is something he’ll likely have to revisit down the road, but he’s focused on the here and now, doing his part to aid the Eagles in another deep postseason run.

The third-year pro said he’s doing the same thing he did before, but now with “less pain.” An argument could be made that Carter, who played 831 regular season snaps a season ago, and another 274 in the postseason, could be in line for a snap reduction long term, but almost certainly in the short term, as the team manages the status of his shoulders. Though if you ask Carter, he wants to be on the field for every defensive snap.

Carter, who has missed a total of five games this season, is set to make his return Sunday in Buffalo, bolstering the trenches for coordinator Vic Fangio just in time to finish out the stretch run. Now healthy enough to contribute, Carter pinpointed an area of focus while acknowledging how the shoulders injury impacted that facet of his game.

“I want to play blocks better and use my hands more,” he said. “The shoulders was kind of restricting it, but I still tried to fight through it. And that’s when you seen the transition of me playing the run less and more pass rushing.”

Saquon Barkley endorses Nick Sirianni

Saquon Barkley doesn’t mince words. That refreshing candidness qualifies as one of the endearing characteristics exemplified from the All-Pro running back.

The most recent example occurred earlier in the week, when Barkley recalled a 2023 divisional round playoff game between the Eagles and New York Giants. The visiting Giants, of course, were routed 38-7, but there was a lasting image that remained with Barkley for quite some time. At some point during the dismantling of their division rival, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, immersed in the emotion of his team punching their ticket to the NFC Championship, was captured on the broadcast delivering a stoic head-nod into the camera.

The game well decided at that juncture, the gesture acted as the equivalent of pouring salt in an open wound, painting Sirianni as haughty.

Barkley remembers it well.

“I couldn’t stand that mother—-er,” he said. “I could not. There’s a clip, I believe it was against us –and they’re playing us – and he just went into the camera and he was like [nodding his head]. That kind of stuck with me for a very long time. So, I wasn’t a fan of him. I’ve told this story before, but now being here and seeing how obsessed he is – ‘Hard Knocks’ and the behind-the-scenes that we have, that you guys are able to see with him coaching –  it doesn’t really do it enough justice.

“He’s so obsessed with the little things, and there’s a reason why this team has been super successful. So, it’s been pretty cool to be able to go from going against him and not being a fan of him, and just seeing what he’s all about. And I think he does a really good job. He’s the perfect coach for Philadelphia; what he stands for and how he operates. Literally, when you think of someone from Philly and a Philly fan, and I had to picture a coach, it would be coach Sirianni.”

A Super Bowl champion and newly appointed team captain under Sirianni’s nearly two-year watch, Barkley now has a contrasting perspective on the polarizing head coach.

Watch any episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” and you’re likely to see Sirianni and Barkley engaging in productive conversations, showcasing Sirianni’s constant communication and ability to connect. You’ll see Barkley, a natural leader with a team-first mindset, blending seamlessly into the impeccable culture that Sirianni has established in Philadelphia – a culture that fixates on details and fundamentals and obsesses over mastering the things that require no talent to gain any advantage  to best position the Eagles to win every week.

It’s also an environment ingrained in Sirianni’s ‘Tough, detailed, together” mantra, ensuring team unification and a selfless mentality.

Sirianni, who has taken the Eagles to the playoffs in all five seasons of his coaching tenure, as well as two Super Bowls appearances, knows how to push the right buttons. His coaching and leadership methods are rooted in emotional intelligence, while Sirianni’s messaging consistently remains fresh, resonating throughout the locker room. Sure, the fifth-year head coach wears his emotions on his sleeve and can appear brash, but Sirianni is unapologetically himself at all times, which should be viewed as commendable.

As Barkley can attest, only those who play for him can truly appreciate his many layers.

Veteran DB familiar with Sunday’s opponent

Having played in the AFC East for the better part of five seasons, Eagles veteran defensive back Michael Carter has seven games of playing experience against the Buffalo Bills to pull from. During his Jets tenure, the Bills largely had the upper hand, the Week 2 meeting at MetLife Stadium earlier this season qualifying as no exception.

This time, Carter returns to Highmark Stadium a first-time division champion, sporting different threads and attempting to accomplish a feat that has eluded him throughout his career.

“We’ve beaten Buffalo, but we never beaten them up there,” he said. “For some reason, when we played Buffalo, we always played them earlier in MetLife, and then we played them later at Buffalo. And you know how it is later in the year in Buffalo, it’s brutal weather-wise. They believe it’s an advantage for them. Buffalo, you get what you think when you’re going to Buffalo; it’s cold, windy, whatever you may think. I like the environment in Buffalo, too. They got good fans who are passionate, so it’s always exciting to play there.”

The last time Carter faced the Bills, on Sept. 14, the Jets managed to limit the damage of dual-threat quarterback Josh Allen, who threw for 148 yards and rushed for another 59. But Allen, an MVP candidate, majors in second-reaction plays, maximizing his strength and resilience to repel defenders like bug spray while ripping the ball downfield.

Even when it appears a play is dead in the water, the 2024 MVP is equipped to gut a team in multiple ways, as evidenced by his 552 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, a daunting assignment for defensive backs.

“He’s a big, strong quarterback, so the play is never dead,” he said. “Even when he’s seeing plays where he’s getting tackled – I’ve been a part of games where he’s getting tackled, he’s falling to the ground, guys on his upper body, too –  he’s still throwing the ball. He scored a touchdown versus us, it might have been my second or my rookie year, so just plays like that, where the plays never over.

“There’s gonna be a second play, and so you just gotta be prepared for that and just make sure you keep your eyes on what you’re supposed to be and be in the right spot.”

While the Bills are devoid of much offensive firepower outside of Allen and running back James Cook – who leads the NFL with 1,532 rushing yards – it’s the lethal quarterback-running back combination that puts defenses in binds, placing an emphasis on remaining assignment sound and rallying to the ball.

Carter has imparted his wisdom on some of his fellow defensive backs, like rookie Brandon Johnson, relaying some of the notes he’s gleaned from experience, though cognizant not to flood them with too much information. For Vic Fangio’s unit to slow the Bills’ offense, fundamental execution and communication will be paramount.

“For one, stopping the run is huge. We know what they bring to the table with that, and how successful they’ve been this year doing that. So, for one, just stopping the run, and two, just making sure we tackle. Being good tacklers. And that’s on the running backs, the receivers who are really good at getting yards after the catch, and [Allen] as well, keeping him in the pocket and getting him down when he gets out and limiting those explosives that come on those second plays.”

ITB PHOTO/ANDREW DICECCO: Eagles FB Cam Latu (36) does a drill at practice alongside LB Zack Baun.

Origins of a Handshake

Observing enough pre-game warmups this season, and even some of the social media clips the team has published, you’ll notice Eagles tight end/fullback Cam Latu has established a rapport with seemingly all of his teammates, typically reflected in personalized handshakes. It’s consistent with the positive energy he radiates.

An extension of his college days in Tuscaloosa, where Latu crafted handshakes with fellow Alabama offensive standouts Jameson Williams, Jahleel Billingsley and John Metchie, the personalized gestures continued in Philadelphia, with fellow tight end Grant Calcaterra, cornerback Kelee Ringo and even quarterback Jalen Hurts among the group.

The one with Hurts was originally spotted in a team social media clip. And as Latu recalls, it was derived purely from observation.

“Jalen, him and Dallas [Goedert] seen me and Grant make up a handshake and he ended up doing it and it ended up being his handshake,” he explained. “I was like, ‘You could have it. You could have it.’ Me and Grant, we put a lot of work into that handshake.”

Calcaterra and Latu developed a close relationship that began in training camp and has since grown stronger throughout the season. The two position mates sit next to one another during meetings, which has only added to the comraderie. The handshake between the two has evolved over time, the early origins beginning with a thumb war, though Latu added that it’s since become far more extensive, adding the 6-7 Tik-Tok phenomenon into the mix, among other elements.

When asked about it, Calcaterra was unable to pinpoint the specifics, as the handshake in question was merely one of several they’ve created.

“We actually have a lot of different handshakes,” he said. “So, I can’t really comment on which one. Knee slaps, thumb war. It really started during camp. I think during camp, we just kind of started it and kind of built on it since then. We have a bunch of different variations now.”

As for the connection between Ringo and Latu, the two special teams aces have struck up a close-knit friendship, evident in any open locker room session. According to Latu, though, their handshake was hastily thrown together and requires additional planning.

“Kelee, that was just on the fly,” he said. “We really gotta add to that. We made that in, like, five seconds. Really no thought, but we just needed a handshake because we’re close. I’m pretty close with everybody.”

“Handshakes, they just come natural, honestly,” Ringo added. “It’s just a little relationship you have with your homeboy. Whatever comes to mind. And we go out there, we play violent, you know? So, just little violent gestures, things that get us locked in with good energy.”

For Latu, whose first two seasons in the NFL were riddled with injuries and uncertainty, his fresh start with the Eagles has manifested in a coming-out-party of sorts. The 25-year-old has embraced his role on offense and special teams, hitting everything that moves and striking with intentionality.

It’s the kind of physicality and boundless energy that resonates. He’s committed to helping the Eagles in any way possible on the field, while his off-field charisma has led to building meaningful relationships and establishing a brotherhood-like connection.

“I like having a handshake with people,” he said. “I feel like it grows connection. Plus, it brings energy before the game, or just anywhere. You know, we’re real friends in here. We’re real brothers.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com