The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Brooks’ block on Kuechly was season changer, but he’s back for more
PHILADELPHIA >> There may not have been a Super Bowl championship season for the Eagles without a Thursday night road victory over the Carolina Panthers. It catapulted the Eagles into another dimension.
And there may not have been a win over the Panthers without a textbook, under-the-radar block by Brandon Brooks, one with unintended circumstances. Nondescript at first, it cost the Panthers defensive difference-maker Luke Kuechly, now healthy for the rematch Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
Let’s rewind to Carolina and 2017. The Eagles trailed, 10-3, with five minutes and change remaining in the first half when LeGarrette Blount got the ball from Carson Wentz and rolled off left guard. Brooks made a seal block on the edge against Kuechly, throwing 340-some pounds into the linebacker flying around the edge.
In trying to get low and turn the play inside, Kuechly took a hit in the side of the neck and shoulder. It didn’t seem like a big deal until TV commentator Tony Romo noted the trouble Kuechly had gathering himself.
That was the end of the night for Kuechly, who suffered a concussion. And in so many ways, that was the turning point in the game.
Four plays later the Panthers gave up the first of three touchdowns without their all-world defensive leader, who had four tackles, a quarterback hurry and a pretty good idea how to frustrate Wentz and the Eagles. For Brooks, the block was bittersweet.
“Just addressing that, first and foremost, I never try to do anything dirty,” Brooks said. “You never want to get anybody hurt. You never want to taunt somebody. I’m glad he’s OK. It did change some of the outcome of the game and things like that.”
In 30 plays with Kuechly at middle linebacker, the Panthers gave up 146 yards and three points. In 32 plays without him that game, the Panthers allowed 25 points and 159 yards in what became a 28-23 Eagles victory.
Wentz was sacked three times when Kuechly was in the game, zero times after he exited. It appeared the Panthers had figured out how to rush Wentz, who also was hindered by the loss of Lane Johnson (concussion) at right tackle, with Halapoulivaati Vaitai filling in.
“I do remember that,” Eagles center Jason Kelce said. “I don’t know if that was particularly him getting hurt or us kind of settling in offensively, but he’s a special player. So, any time he’s not on the field it’s tough. It’s not just him but he is the leader of that defense. Everybody knows it.”
For Kelce, Panthers week is special because of the preparation it takes to get ready for another chess match with Kuechly. There’s little margin for error as Kuechly not only leads the Panthers in tackles but has 16 career interceptions, unheard of for a linebacker.
“You’re trying to game plan against the differencemakers on their team and he’s certainly one of those guys,” Kelce said. “Not only is he an incredibly gifted athlete, mentally, he’s as good and as sharp as they come. He’s going to constantly be trying to put them in the best position to be successful and he does a phenomenal job of that as the orchestrator of that defense. He definitely watches his film. He’s definitely prepared come game time. So, that’s a guy that obviously we’ve got to be ready for. He’s definitely a difference-maker for that defense.”
Kuechly isn’t the only guy the Eagles have to account for. Linebacker Thomas Davis, safety Mike Adams (Delaware) and pass rusher Julius Peppers, among other veterans, enable the Panthers to roll with detailed game plans. The Panthers added pass rusher Mario Addison and defensive tackle Dontari Poe to a line that already contained Kawann Short.
The Eagles almost certainly won’t have Johnson 100 percent healthy, as the tackle is nursing a high-ankle sprain. It’s pretty clear the Eagles are going to try to do what every team does, which is to put some bodies on the 6-3, 238-pound Kuechly.
“They’re fast, they’re veterans, smart guys,” Brooks said. “It’s like every week, it’s execution. I think most games come down to who can execute. Not just all the time but execute when it’s crunch time. There’s usually three or four plays each game that decide the outcome.”
Brooks made one of those plays simply by doing his job. The Eagles (3-3) went off-the-grid crazy after defeating the Panthers last season, winning their next five games by an average of 23.4 points.
The Panthers (3-2) were without Kuechly the game after playing the Eagles. They lost that one, too. And it cost them home field in the playoffs. The Panthers wound up being eliminated in New Orleans, after Kuechly had returned.