NEW ORLEANS — You’ve probably seen the signs or the t-shirts or the billboards. The Eagles this season have adopted the mantra, “Let’s Hunt,” and have put it on everything. But it’s a mindset that meant something to the Eagles long before they began wearing it across their chests.
In fact, during defensive meetings all season, linebackers coach Bobby King has actually been playing clips of animals hunting. For real.
“Who told you that?” Zack Baun said with a grin.
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Baun said he and his teammates joke that King must always be on TikTok or Instagram reels because he’s always finding interesting and funny videos.
“But it really visualizes what we’re trying to do,” Baun said, “whether it’s animals hunting or a lot of boxing clips, honestly, or trains or people surfing. He always has a great message.”
What animals are we talking about? The ones you’d expect. Lions and tigers and … well, you get it.
“That’s a Bobby King special,” Oren Burks said. “I feel like he has a different theme every week in terms of just hunting the ball. He does presentations. Whatever can illustrate taking the ball away, having that ferocious mindset. It varies week to week.”
NFL
There’s one Eagles player who is an especially big fan of the “Let’s Hunt” slogan this season: Rookie edge rusher Jalyx Hunt.
What was his reaction when he heard it for the first time?
“They gotta put my face on it,” Hunt said. “My honest reaction was I need to make some more plays so I can take it back and be like, ‘That’s mine’ and my face would be everywhere.”
Taking down a record
Hall of Famer Terrell Davis has held the single season (regular season + playoffs) rushing record for 26 years. But Saquon Barkley needs just 30 yards to break it on Sunday.
And Davis is ready to watch it happen.
“I don’t know if it’s ‘if.’ He’ll get it,” Davis said to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark. “He’ll trip and fall for 30 yards.”
While Barkley didn’t get a chance to go for Eric Dickerson’s regular season record in Week 17, this one would be pretty sweet, especially if the Eagles are able to defeat the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Here’s the all-time list:
1. Terrell Davis (1998): 2,476
2. Saquon Barkley (2024): 2,447
3. Terrell Davis (1997): 2,331
4. Eric Dickerson (1984): 2,212
5. Adrian Peterson (2012): 2,196
“It’s cool to have it,” Davis said. “But in the same vein, there’s no other person that I can think of that you root for more and would be happy that he broke the record than Saquon. Both can be true. I love my record but if Saquon breaks it, it would be fantastic.”
Stout’s perspective
After Barkley eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark this season, offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland was really fired up on the sideline. He and Barkley interact quite a bit, so he was happy for him to get such a huge milestone.
“It’s always about the player. I was so happy for him,” Stoutland said. “He’s hasn’t always had it easy. He’s had to overcome a lot. For him to be able to really come in and have a group of guys like this fight for him, play in and play out. Not just the offensive line but receivers, tight ends, everybody. To see him have the kind of season he had and he’s such a good guy. He’s such a team guy. It couldn’t happen for a better guy.”
Barkley and the Eagles’ offensive line have a close relationship. Stoutland, the Eagles’ longtime OL coach, thinks that has gone a long way in this special season.
“He’s a humble guy, appreciative of everything,” Stoutland said. “I think it just adds to the fuel and the fire for guys that want to go extra to finish with a guy like that.”
Close to the Eagles
The last time these two teams played in the Super Bowl, it was the Kelce Bowl. But even after Jason’s retirement, it’s still special for Travis to play against the Eagles.
The Chiefs’ future Hall of Famer is still really close with some of his brother’s former teammates.
“One hundred percent, man,” Travis Kelce said this week. “I feel like Lane Johnson is one of my brothers, Jordan Mailata is one of my brothers. I feel like it’s just an extension from Jason. Over the course of his entire career, I’ve gotten to know just about every Eagle there has been, especially being around Jason in the offseasons and going and supporting him whenever I don’t have a game and stuff like that.
“This is definitely a family affair. I still feel very close to a lot of the people in that building. I know my brother does too. And you can’t take out the fact that my sister-in-law is a die-hard Birds fan.”
What stands out about Eagles’ star WRs
Chiefs receiver DeAndre Hopkins is a fan of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro said that while Brown and Smith are very different players, he does see one common trait on tape.
“I would say what stands out about those guys is how competitive they are,” Hopkins said. “Those are two of the most competitive receivers. I feel like if you put those guys in a boxing ring against anybody, even without any training skills, those guys will probably come out victorious. They’re just competitive, man. They’re dawgs.”
Soaking it all in
Super Bowl Opening Night is a bit of a circus but Mekhi Becton was enjoying every minute of it on Monday night.
The Eagles’ right guard never had a winning season during his time with the Jets and is now about to start in a Super Bowl in his first year with the Eagles.
“It’s cool. It’s a great feeling,” Becton said. “It’s a blessing for sure because a lot of people don’t get here. I just want to take it all in and do what I need to do. Yeah, it’s cool.”
When the Eagles clinched the division, Becton was extremely emotional and cried tears of joy.
What have Becton’s emotions been like in the playoffs?
“My emotions have been … you gotta win. That’s my emotions,” Becton said. “Just win. Win. That’s all I’ve been thinking about. I don’t really want to get away from these guys so that’s all I’ve been thinking about. Just win.”
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