Eagles Keep Taking Shots In The Return Game

PHILADELPHIA - Any time you walk off an NFL game with a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown by a 330-pound defensive tackle turned part-time sprinter, it’s a memorable day for an NFL special teams coordinator.

And the Eagles’ Michael Clay got plenty of upbeat questions Tuesday on the heroics of Jordan Davis during Philadelphia’s stunning 33-26 comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams.

However, being the boss means you have to answer for everything, and Clay also had to address the Eagles’ kick return woes against the Rams and knuckelball specialist Joshua Karty.

Neither Tank Bigsby nor John Metchie seemed to have any idea how to handle Karty’s unique kickoffs, which would have made Phil Niekro proud. Unfortunately, for the returners, they were not allowed a mitt the size of a garbage can lid to corral the football.

“Kudos to Karty,” Clay said. “We had a sense obviously in the first two games watching him against Tennessee and Houston that he had that knuckleball, and we were trying to replicate it as much as we possibly could throughout the week.”

It wasn’t enough for Bigsby or Metchie, who combined for five returns for only 55 yards, a performance that consistently started a struggling Eagles’ offense with poor field position.

Whether by circumstance or not, the waiver claim of return specialist Xavier Gipson on Monday was notable coming off the game.

"I think [GM] Howie [Roseman] does a great job of always scouring players that either get cut or are on the street of that nature,” Clay said. “Xavier coming out of Stephen F. Austin we really liked in terms of his explosiveness in both kickoff return and punt return, and he has breakaway speed right there, and he showed that early on in his rookie year."

Upgrade In Return Game?

Philadelphia Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Gipson is a natural returner, unlike Bigsby or Metchie, who have stepped up due to injuries to Will Shipley and Ben VanSumeren.

Shipley could return to the main return role at Tampa Bay in Week 4 after missing two games with an oblique injury.

Where Gipson is interesting is that he can handle both kickoffs and punts, where WR3 Jahan Dotson has just been serviceable.

Gipson, though, has been waived by both the Jets and Giants over the past 10 days and has had some issues with ball security, so everything remains in flux. When right, however, Gipson is more dynamic than the Eagles’ other return options.

“Obviously, he had that walk-off against Buffalo, I believe it was that Monday night game. So he has that added ability to stretch the coverage unit, and he had a big return against Pittsburgh to start the season, and for myself, every guy has a clean slate,” Clay said of Gipson. “We all know what there's some deficiencies with, [where there is] not deficiencies, but for myself as a clean slate to get him acclimated, how we do things around here with the fundamentals of ball carry, security, things of that nature.

“That's where I get to come in and try to help him out in that case. But I've always admired Xavier in his first two years in the NFL. Then his tape at SFA is really good.”

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