As the world will be busy celebrating Christmas with their families, many NFL players will be far away from their homes to play the Christmas Night game. While the veteran players know the importance of playing on a special holiday, Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata shared his two cents and tried to motivate and inspire rookies for their upcoming Xmas game.
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As the league entered the holiday season, it is aiming to attract a large audience and has scheduled three nail-biting games for Monday. Eagles are also one of the six teams to play their game on Dec. 25th and Jordan Mailata spoke to the media about their upcoming game against the New York Giants.
In a recent video uploaded by the Eagles Press Conferences, the Eagles tackle highlighted the reality of being in the NFL, especially for the rookies who find themselves playing a game on a holiday like Christmas. He acknowledged that it might not be ideal to spend their first year as a professional player away from family. However, he stressed the fact that playing in the NFL is something every player has dedicated their lives to achieving. He said:
“They’re playing on a holiday, you know, but this the NFL, this is what you’ve worked your whole life to come to. Now that you’re here, this is the life you have to live. And we’ll be here every step of the way whenever they need us.”
He told the youngsters to accept this new reality and be fully committed to the game if they want to excel in the NFL. Mailata also encouraged them of the team’s support and stated that they would be there for the rookies at every step of their career whenever needed.
While talking about their recent performances in their last two weeks, Mailata claimed that there were few faulty executions in the game which led to their back-to-back losses. He stated that he has reviewed and worked on his techniques to further improve the team’s performance.
In the same video, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham also admitted the missed opportunities in the last game and stressed the need to focus on the crucial details for the remaining three games. Eagles Safety Sydney Brown while talking about the mindset of the team entering Week 16, stated the importance of unity in the team that will help them overcome difficult situations.
What the Eagles Need to Change
The Eagles were 10-1 after their Week 12 win against the Buffalo Bills. However, since then they have lost three continuous games and from being the leaders, they have dropped down to sixth position in the overall league standings. The Eagles are set to play against the New York Giants and are looking to make a strong comeback on Monday.
To manage a win, the Eagles would need to address their problems and make some changes in their quarterback’s play. Jalen Hurts threw two interceptions and went without a touchdown pass against the Seattle Seahawks. However, he rushed for 82 yards in 13 carries while scoring two touchdowns.
In their upcoming game, they should also take risks and play more aggressively to gain yards on the field. It’s crucial for them to avoid penalties that could cause them to lose the game. In the Week 15 game, Jason Kelce took the responsibility for a false start penalty in the second quarter. Philadelphia Eagles lost an important scoring chance at Seattle’s three-yard line and they had to settle for a field goal instead which led to their 17-20 loss in Week 15.
