Why Zaccheaus was thinking about a mistake and not his TD after Bills game
Why Zaccheaus was thinking about a mistake and not his TD after Bills game originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Olamide Zaccheaus made one of the biggest plays of the game in the Eagles’ 37-34 overtime win over the Bills last Sunday.
Zaccheaus’s 29-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter was pretty incredible.
But that wasn’t on his mind after the win.
“After the game we were talking to OZ, congratulating him on a great touchdown catch,” special teams coordinator Michael Clay said, “and the only thing he wanted to talk about was, ‘Man, if I could have stayed on my block a little bit longer to spring (Britain) Covey.’
“That's what this whole organization is all about. Everybody connecting, being for one another out there on the playing field because they know they could change the game with the field position, they can change the energy within the stadium, especially at home.”
The Covey return came at the end of the ensuing drive after Zaccheaus’s touchdown. Covey picked up 18 yards but there was probably room for more and Zaccheaus is probably right that he could have helped spring a bigger return.
“Yeah, I wish I could get that play back,” Zaccheaus said. “You just learn from that and get better next time.”
But the fact that it was the missed play that was on his mind after a win tells you an awful lot about the culture inside the NovaCare Complex this season.
“We’re striving to be excellent and when you fall short of that standard in any aspect, you critique it and want to get better from it,” Zaccheaus said. “I think the plays that you miss out on are the plays that stick with you after the game more so than the plays that you made.”
It’s hard to pinpoint the origin of this mentality but it really seems to fall in line with what franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts has talked about all season: 1a and 1b. Winning comes first, but then there’s playing to the standard.
Even on Sunday cameras caught Hurts shaking his head after Jake Elliott drilled a 59-yard field goal to force overtime. Hurts was confident Elliott would make the kick but confirmed on Wednesday that the look of frustration was about not finishing off the final drive of regulation the way he or the team wanted.
Zaccheaus on Friday was asked where that mindset comes from.
“Just holding ourselves to a certain standard, holding myself to a certain standard, knowing that we have to get better,” he said.
The Eagles signed Zaccheaus, who played high school ball at St. Joseph’s Prep, in the offseason after he spent the first four years of his career with the Falcons. While his numbers are down this season, that’s understandable. The Eagles do everything they can to run their passing offense through A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert.
But before each season, one of the most important messages head coach Nick Sirianni delivers to his team is about the importance of roles. Zaccheaus has a somewhat limited role on offense this year. That 29-yard touchdown catch on Sunday was his only target in that game and he’s averaged just 1.27 targets per game all season.
Zaccheaus takes his role seriously though. That means being ready whenever a pass comes his way. And that also includes being a blocker on the punt return unit.
“I take a lot of pride in it,” he said. “It’s another way to impact the game. We know that field position is a big, crucial part of the game. Whenever we can steal yards on special teams, it’s a great opportunity for us.”
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