Even though he could not be on the field, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans played a motivational role in Monday's 45-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Injured DeMeco Ryans inspires Eagles in win over Panthers
Although he wasn’t on the field, Ryans made his impact felt on Monday night.
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Out for the season after tearing his Achilles tendon against the Houston Texans, Ryans was an emotional leader for the Eagles, imploring his teammates to play a winning brand of football, per Matt Lombardo of NJ Advanced Media:
"DeMeco was in here and in the locker room the whole time," Eagles outside linebacker Connor Barwin said after a 3.5 sacks performance. "He was just being DeMeco. Giving the guys some confidence.
"It's kind of something we talked about all week. The guys went out tonight and did him proud, I think."
The Eagles harassed Panthers quarterback Cam Newton all night, sacking him nine times and scoring a touchdown in the second quarter on a pick-six. Most importantly, the defense stepped up with starting quarterback Nick Foles on the sideline, where he could remain for the duration of the regular season while he rests with a broken clavicle.
Many were worried that Ryans’ absence would be a major issue, but at least on this night, the Eagles soldiered on, via NJ.com:
"Everybody thinks about DeMeco and what he means to this team," Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said. "Not having him, we know how big that is. I think we also played for each other. We had a lot of faith in the guys stepping in for him and playing different roles.
"It definitely was a rallying point knowing just how much DeMeco meant to us and knowing how much he'd love to be out there with us. Unfortunately He can't be. It was great to see him before the game, pre-game and talk to him. I'm sure he's happy with the win."
Before being knocked out for the season with the Achilles injury, Ryans amassed 45 tackles and an interception in his third season with the Eagles. Last year, Ryans set a career high with four sacks and notched 127 tackles, his third-highest total.
With the victory, Philadelphia moved to 7-2 and remains a half-game ahead of the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the NFC East. The Eagles have a tough road ahead, traveling to play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday before hosting the Tennessee Titans and then visiting the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
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