After Hit On Foles, Peters Answers the Call


Photo by: Jeff Fusco.

Photo by: Jeff Fusco.

When Jason Peters saw Chris Baker level Nick Foles, he couldn’t contain himself.

“He was cheap-shotted,” Peters said. “I mean he [Baker] cheap-shotted him, and he’s not even trying to make a play. So I just reacted. I shouldn’t have did what I did, but I was just trying to protect my quarterback.”

Peters went after Baker immediately with a two-handed strike to his helmet. Soon, he was in the middle of a melee on the Washington sideline. Baker and Peters both ended up getting ejected.

The Eagles finished the game with backups at four of the five offensive line spots. Andrew Gardner moved over to left tackle. Wade Smith took over at left guard. David Molk was at center, Dennis Kelly at right guard, and Todd Herremans slid over to right tackle.

But the Eagles managed to rally in the fourth quarter yet again and came away with a 37-34 victory.

Afterwards, in the Eagles locker room, there was no talk about Peters losing his cool. Instead, teammates praised the left tackle and expressed gratitude that he was on their side.

“Jason Peters, I’m not messing with him,” said Zach Ertz. “No matter what he says to me, I would not say anything back to him. He’s the best. In our opinion, he’s the best tackle in the league. He’s so selfless. He leads this team in so many ways, and we love to have him.”

Added Todd Herremans: “I thought about stepping in the way, but I just would have gotten murdered.”

Molk entered the game in the third quarter for Jason Kelce. This is his first season playing with Peters.

Asked if he could think of a better candidate to retaliate on Foles’ behalf, Molk said: “I don’t think so. That’s a passionate, big, scary man.”

Connor Barwin was posed the same question.

“All these guys I wouldn’t mind [being] out there,” he said, before letting out a big smile. “But obviously I feel really good about JP leading the charge.”

Ask teammates about Peters’ demeanor, and most will say he’s quiet. But he’s known for helping out younger players, and coaches constantly marvel at his athleticism.

Eveyone knew what they had in the six-time Pro Bowler before Sunday’s game, but the dust-up served as a subtle reminder of how nice it is to have Peters on their side.

“Someone asked me on a radio show, if there was one guy on the 53-man roster that I wouldn’t want to be in an alley brawl [with], I said it would be Jason Peters,” said Dennis Kelly. “Just because once he gets going… I was trying to pull him off because I saw when it got really bad and I had a hard time trying to get him out of there. So I’m sure Nick’s pretty glad that he has JP on his side.”

Added rookie Marcus Smith II: “Nobody better. He’s the guy. He’s the person that everybody looks up to, and it doesn’t surprise me that he went over there to protect his quarterback because he got late hit.”

“He’s definitely the enforcer on our team,” said James Casey. “If something happens, he’s the first guy in the pack, and that’s what you want out of your leaders. That’s why you count on your leaders. They get the leadership role. They get to tell guys what to do sometimes. But when stuff happens like that, you expect those guys to stand up and demonstrate why they are a leader. And I think he did that today.”

Foles was made aware of what Peters did after the fact.

“I did not see that happen,” he said. “I found that out after the fight. I love Jason Peters to death.”

Tim McManus contributed to this article.