Ertz catching up with role model
Sometime after the Eagles and Cowboys finish playing Sunday night, Zach Ertz hopes to complete a life-long, professional project. In one more way, he will try to catch up to Jason Witten.
Witten is the Cowboys’ tight end, and for as long as Ertz and many others can recall, he has been an NFL standard at the position. But this season, he has caught one fewer pass, has scored three fewer touchdowns and has gained 158 fewer yards than Ertz.
That doesn’t mean the order of tight end excellence in the NFC East has changed. But it does mean, that at age 35, Witten is descending, while Ertz, 27, is on the rise. At some point, Ertz would like to just shake hands, even if there is not a baton to be passed in the process.
“It’s funny,” Ertz was saying Thursday, after practice at the NovaCare Complex. “I have (tried) in the past. And every time, he doesn’t shake hands with anyone. I don’t know if that’s just how he’s done it always, but since I have been in the league, that’s something that I’ve noticed. I try to
find him after the game. I haven’t been able to find him.
“I’ll try to find him before the game, and say something to him like I have in years past. But he has always been a role model of mine. He was always the guy I kind of watched growing up from the tight end position. I think a lot of my game has kind of emulated from him, the way I run routes, the way I study film. It all stems from him. So he’s been a huge role model for me. And I can’t say enough good things about him.”
As for this year, there have been plenty of good things said about Ertz, including that he is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season. Though he missed the Birds’ last game, a 51-23 victory over Denver, with a hamstring issue, Ertz leads all NFC tight ends in receiving yards with 528.
“The offseason was all focused on route running,” he said. “(Eagles tight ends coach) Justin Peelle made it a point: You are a good route-runner, and we want you to be a great route-runner. So the whole offseason had the sole focus of trying to be on the same page as Carson (Wentz) from a route-running standpoint. So he’s one of the big reasons I’ve made a lot of strides this year.”
Ertz literally plans to make all the necessary strides Sunday in Dallas, as he participated fully in practice Thursday, the Eagles’ bye week having provided sufficient time to become pain-free.
“I am ready to go,” he said. “I am 100 percent healthy. I was able to open it up a little bit today, more so than yesterday. So I am ready to go.”
••• Jay Ajayi grew up in Frisco, Texas, near Dallas. He realizes at least one aspect of his home life was not typical of the region.
“In my household, the Cowboys were on the TV quite a bit,” he said. “And it’s funny. My mom (Kemi) is actually an Eagles fan. So she was super-psyched when I came here. Now I have a lot of people who are going to be at this game. It’s exciting to get this opportunity to go and showcase what I can do in front of friends and family.”
While his mother favored the Eagles, Ajayi’s father, Ibi, was a Cowboys fan.
“It was a split household,” Ajayi said. “My mom loved Donovan McNabb. That was her favorite player. So she always was rooting for the Eagles. Obviously, when I went to the Dolphins, they all became Dolphins fans.
“Now, it is an Eagles household all the way.”
Since arriving in trade from Miami, Ajayi has played one game for the Birds, carrying eight times against Denver. But he used the bye week to become more familiar with the playbook and could play more Sunday.
“I feel like I have a really good grasp of our playbook,” he said. “It really comes down to knowing your assignment. If you don’t know who you are going to block, you can’t be out there. So after knowing how the protections work and who you have to pick up, then it comes down to execution.”
••• Not surprisingly, solving Dak Prescott will be high among the Eagles’ chores Sunday.
“We just have to go out there and play,” Brandon Graham said. “We have speed. He’s good. He’s good at extending plays. We know that. We just have to make sure we keep him contained and keep him inside and make him beat him with his arm. We know he has a strong arm, but we just have to get after him and not play cautious.
“We have to be aggressive and let the cards fall where they may.”
••• Alshon Jeffery (ankle) was limited in practice Thursday. The receiver sounded ready to play against Dallas.
“I feel ready for the challenge,” he said.
Ronald Darby (ankle), Ertz (hamstring) and Jaylen Watkins (hamstring) were full practice participants.