Sendejo will treat Minnesota return like Super Bowl
PHILADELPHIA » Andrew Sendejo celebrated some of the best years of his life with the Minnesota Vikings.
Among other triumphs during his career there was the Minneapolis Miracle, multiple trips to the playoffs and the four-year, $16 million contract he earned upon winning a starting safety job.
What he cherished most happened off the field. Who knew the fierce tackler who plays every snap for the Eagles like it could be his last had a sentimental side?
“I have family that’s there that I was able to be with for the eight years I was there,” Sendejo said of the Minnesota area, which will be cheering for the Vikings when they host the Eagles Sunday. “My older sister lives up there so I basically got to watch my niece and nephew grow up. They got to come to all the games. I got to have family around, which is good.”
Life was really good for Sendejo, who was reminded of it a couple of weeks ago when the extended family trekked to Green Bay to watch the Eagles oppose the Packers on a Sunday night. You better believe the kinfolk will be at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday when the Eagles try to win another road game.
From the outside looking in, Sendejo owes the Vikings and Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins. That’s because Sendejo and Mike Remmers were released after the 2018 season to create salary cap room to accommodate Cousins, the former Redskin who signed a ridiculous three-year, totally guaranteed contract worth $84 million.
When Cousins looks in the sacks category, he’ll see “Sendejo 1.” The safety put Matt Ryan on his back on a blitz in Week 2 against the Falcons.
Like Sendejo, Eagles safety Rodney McLeod has been there and done the return/reunion thing with the organization that moved on from him. It would be best for the Vikings to proceed as if Sendejo had the game circled on his calendar.
“Oh, yeah, it’s going to be an emotional game for him with us going back there,” McLeod said. “For him, that’s kind of all he knows. Before he came here it was Minnesota. I know how it was before I had to go back and play the Rams. You know, like you give everything you have to an organization and now you’re coming back to play some of your brothers, ultimately. You just want to play your best ball. You want to put on show. And I think that’s what he’s going to do.”
Even if Sendejo doesn’t get to the quarterback on a blitz, Cousins will be hearing footsteps. The Eagles’ secondary has three of the team’s 13 sacks, cornerback Orlando Scandrick contributing a pair of strip-sacks in a blowout of the New York Jets Sunday. Scandrick returned one of the fumbles for a touchdown.
While Jets quarterback Luke Falk probably never will be mistaken for Cousins, there’s no denying the havoc wreaked by the Eagles over the weekend was special. The Eagles are the first team to record 10 sacks and two defensive touchdowns in the same game since the sack became an official statistic in 1982. This for a club without much of a pass rush this season until then.
“I think just the week of preparation, the game plan and then executing is kind of what it came down to,” Sendejo said.
Rest assured, Sendejo will be ready for the Vikings. The Eagles have used him as a resource in terms of what the Vikings do best, primarily on the defensive side. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer might have to change some of the calls on his exotic A-gap blitzes, and that could benefit Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. Sendejo also knows the Vikings’ special teams inside out.
“I’m sure he’s going to sing like a canary,” Zimmer said on a conference call Wednesday. “He’s veryt smart. He’s going to go full speed 100 mph. whistle to whistle. He’s going to go downhill and there’s going to be some friendly fire there. You just have to be aware of it.”
Then there’s the personal end of what could be a big week for Sendejo. When he takes the field, it’s going to be tough to block out his Minny history. That includes the Minneapolis Miracle, when Stefon Diggs hauled in a desperation pass from Case Keenum in the 2018 playoffs against the Saints, and rolled from there for a 61-yard game-winning touchdown as time expired.
“Every week is a big week,” Sendejo said. “You should treat every game the same. I think the only difference is I’ll know the guys I play against. You should play every game like it’s the Super Bowl, like it’s the last game of your life. You shouldn’t put more emphasis on one game than the other.”
In that vein this will be the Super Bowl for Sendejo, who would be wise to minimize some of the adrenaline between the whistles.
Sendejo inadvertently crashed into teammate Avonte Maddox during the Packers game, sidelining the cornerback with a concussion and a sore neck. Maddox is unlikely to play this week
“One thing is you just can’t let your emotions run too high,” McLeod said. “You’ve got to keep it leveled, keep it controlled and when it’s time to unleash it just make sure you do it the right way.”
The flip side for Sendejo is this will be the second time in three games the family is around. It’s part of the comfort zone that in some ways helped him channel his energy into the games all these years.
Being around family was a gift for the undrafted Sendejo, who hasn’t forgotten how the people closest to him helped get him to where he is today.
“I definitely miss them,” Sendejo said. “They’re used to me being around all the time. It’s going to be good to see them again.”