Joe Thomas Joins Anthony to Discuss the Eagles O-Line
The Eagles Offensive Line is the best in football. They have proven that all year long. And who better to talk to about them than a future Hall of Fame Offensive Tackle? Joe Thomas from the NFL Network joined The Anthony Gargano to discuss this Eagles O-Line, stopping Chris Jones, Lane Johnson battling through an injury, and more. Here is what Joe Thomas had to say.
On How Good the Eagles’ O-Line is
“I said before the season that they are the best offensive line in football, and they made me look smart all season long. Because they played like it. They have done a great job staying healthy. Which is always a big issue on the offensive line. You are always going to lose guys throughout the season. But keeping those guys who are your core together. And when you do have the replacement come in, making sure you don’t miss a beat. Especially with communication. That is so important upfront. Getting those guys on the same page.”
On Stopping Chris Jones
“Philly has got an advantage on both the offensive and defensive lines. But the one guy who can be the equalizer is Chris Jones. He will be up for defensive player of the year. And he really ran rough shot over the Bengals in the AFC Championship game. Being able to stop him, and being able to communicate where he lines up, is going to be a huge part of slowing him down and giving them the opportunity to run their normal offense in a normal down and distance.
Chirs Jones has been unblockable for most of his career… His biggest weapon is he will line up over the center, over the guard, and they pick and chose opportunities to line him up over the Tackle. But that is almost when he is the most dangerous to me. As a Tackle, I remember lining up and you are seeing a speed guy all day long. So you are getting Fastball, Fastball, Fastball. And then all of a sudden you get a change up, and you aren’t ready for it… You dont know how to handle that transition from dealing with a guy who is fast but not strong, to dealing with a guy who is pretty quick, pretty fast, and super strong.
But thankfully, the elixer for the Eagles is Lane Johnson, the best Right Tackle in Football. I think he will be able to handle him. It will be interesting to see that cat-and-mouse game, and how it unfolds.”
You can listen to the full interview with Joe Thomas below
