The Philadelphia Eagles are halfway through their up-and-down 2018 season. Here are the players who stood above the rest so far this year.
The Philadelphia Eagles are at the midpoint of their 2018 season. Even though the team hasn’t performed to expectations there have been some stellar individual performances.
As we’ve reached the midway point of the 2018 NFL season and ahead of a crucial Week 10 matchup in primetime against the rival Dallas Cowboys, it feels like the appropriate time to assess some of the individuals for the defending champions. In the process of doing so, we’ll hand out some hardware.
Here are the Philadelphia Eagles’ midseason award winners for 2018.
Comeback Player of the Year: Jordan Hicks
In 2017, Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks had his season cut short due to a ruptured Achilles. He was only able to play in seven games. He was forced to watch the Eagles celebrate a Super Bowl victory from the sidelines.
Yet, in 2018, he has come back with a vengeance, showing no signs of a lingering injury. Hicks is leading the team with 71 total tackles, ranking seventh in the NFL for total tackles. His three sacks on the season are third most on the team. Hicks has been a stalwart in the middle of the Eagles defense. As long as he remains healthy, he’ll be a mainstay in this Eagles defense for years to come.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Dallas Goedert
Second-round pick Dallas Goedert has been the team’s most impressive rookie on offense, by far. The tight end from South Dakota State has made an immediate impact on this Eagles team. That’s a hard thing to do when his snaps are limited behind Pro-Bowler Zach Ertz.
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Goedert is fourth on the Eagles in receptions and tied for second with three receiving touchdowns. His presence on the field has added the threat of two athletic receiving tight ends. That’s something the Eagles haven’t had in quite some time. It will be hard for him to eat into Ertz’s snaps, but as long as he continues his production, the Eagles will have to find ways to get him on the field.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Avonte Maddox
Eagles rookie defensive back Avonte Maddox has shown that he is ready to play in the NFL. Maddox was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh. He primarily played cornerback in college, but due to injuries, he’s finding his way onto the field at the safety position.
Maddox has been slotted in as the replacement for the injured Rodney McLeod. In his four games as a starter, he has 17 tackles and hasn’t made any glaring rookie mistakes. His ideal position is the cornerback spot, but the transition to safety has been good so far. Hopefully it remains that way.
Offensive Player of the Year: Zach Ertz
Eagles tight end Zach Ertz has easily been the most effective player on the Eagles offense. He established himself as a Pro-Bowler last season and now has his sights set on being named an All-Pro.
Ertz is first among tight ends in the NFL in receptions and he ranks third in yards. He has been consistent from the get-go for the Eagles. Whenever they are in need of a positive play, Ertz is the man the Eagles are looking for. He will be crucial in these final eight games if the Eagles want to make a run at another Super Bowl.
Defensive Player of the Year: Fletcher Cox
Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox has been his usual dominant-self this season. He’s been clogging up holes on the D-line as good as anyone in the NFL. Cox also leads the team in sacks with four. And he leads all defensive lineman on the roster with 25 tackles.
Cox has without a doubt been the best Eagles defensive player over the past five seasons. Without him, they would be in a lot of trouble. Thankfully, the Eagles locked him up long term so he can remain the towering presence that he is.
Most Valuable Player: Carson Wentz
It’s hard not to pick a team’s quarterback when it comes to MVP. That would be the case for the Eagles as well. Carson Wentz missed the first two games of the season recovering from ACL surgery, but his return has shown that they need him to win.
In his six games, Wentz has thrown 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He has a passer rating of 109.6 and a 70 percent completion rate. Those are all numbers that are better than he had last year before his season ended with an injury. The Eagles will need their captain and leader to continue his success to make a deep playoff run this season.