Eagles All-Pro punter Donnie Jones took home the NFC Special Teams Player of The Week award for the second time this season.
Chip Kelly's Eagles may have just found a secret weapon in punter Donnie Jones.
Two weeks ago Jones took home NFC Special Teams Player of The Week Honors after a monstrous performance that included a 70-yard punt against the Washington Redskins that helped seal a victory which propelled the Eagles to the top of the NFC East standings.
Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, Jones followed up his impressive effort by pinning Carson Palmer and company inside the 20-yard line on all five of his second half punts. That sort of field position dominance certainly played a role in the Eagles winning their fourth straight and keeping pace with the Cowboys atop the division.
For the second straight game Jones was named the special teams player of the week thanks to his efforts against the Cardinals.
The Baton Rouge, LA native knows that kind of impact he can have on a game with one of his booming punts.
"Those plays are huge in a game," said Jones. "It fires the defense up. That's one thing that really makes me get excited, is when I see those guys running onto the field when they're excited about (the opposing offense) starting on the 8, or starting on the 2. That's what's rewarding to me, knowing that I'm doing everything I can to help them out, putting them in the best position to be successful."
In 2012, 40 of the Eagles' 71 punts were returned. Half of the returned punts (20) went for at least 10 yards.
This season, only 22 of the Eagles' 65 punts have been returned. A grand total of 1 punt return has gone for 10+ yards.
In back to back weeks the Eagles have held on by the skin of their teeth to win games in the second half after only scoring seven points after halftime, and the field position advantage Jones has given the defense cannot be overlooked.
"The field position has been outstanding," said defensive coordinator Bill Davis. "That is a huge part of why we have had some success in the game against Arizona. Donnie putting it inside the 20 is really unbelievable. He's been as big a reason for us having success defensively as anybody."
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
