Philadelphia Eagles’ Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens: ‘They’re tough as – I almost cussed’
The Philadelphia Eagles dealt with two injuries in their offensive line on Sunday and still set a record for points scored in a conference-championship game by beating the Washington Commanders 55-23.
“Everybody’s battling,” Eagles offensive lineman Landon Dickerson said after the victory. “You don’t get anything promised at this time of the year with the playoffs. Everybody’s got to do everything they can to win this game.”
Dealing with a back injury, center Cam Jurgens warmed up for the game but didn’t make it to the lineup. Instead, the Eagles shifted Dickerson, a Pro Bowl left guard, to center. Dickerson had been an All-American center at Alabama before switching to guard for Philadelphia four seasons ago.
But a knee injury kept Dickerson from answering the bell in the second half, and Jurgens had to finish the game despite his injury.
“He’s one of the toughest guys I know – him and Landon,” Eagles right guard Mekhi Becton said. “They’re tough as – I almost cussed. I’m not trying to cuss. But they’re very tough. I was telling Landon the whole time I seen him messing with his knee, I’m like, ‘All right, bro. I’m here for you. Don’t try to kill yourself, but I’m here for you. I got you.’
“Then he told me he was going down, and I went to Cam, ‘Come on, Cam.’ And I pretty much told him I was proud of him. Every drive we came off the field, I knew he was hurting. I’m like, ‘I’m proud of you, bro. I’m proud of you. Keep going. Come on, I got you. I’m right with you.’ We always uplift each other, for sure.”
Dickerson hadn’t snapped the football in a game since Sept. 29, when he handled seven. Philadelphia used Nick Gates for 12 snaps during a November game, then had him go all the way in the regular-season finale, when the Eagles sat many of their starters in preparation for the playoffs.
But Gates was designated a game-day inactive, making him ineligible to play on Sunday and leaving Dickerson and Jurgens to play hurt.
“These guys are playing through pain,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “Man, I just can’t say enough about how much I respect these guys with what they have to do with their bodies. I don’t think anyone knows the half of it, what they have to go through to play this long season. This is a marathon. All these guys are fighting through pain.”
With Dickerson out of his regular spot, the Eagles used Tyler Steen, another former Alabama lineman, at left guard. In his second NFL season, Steen made the fourth start of his career.
“Super proud of Tyler Steen, Cam Jurgens, Mekhi Becton, all those guys being ready to go in,” Dickerson said. “Yeah, it’s a tough sport, but we take pride in that offensive-line room knowing when somebody goes down, the next guy is stepping up, and we’re not missing a beat. …
“We talk about it at meetings. Even if you’re looking at a guy that he may not dress, you’re preparing like the starter. In your head, you are the starter. I think that’s why you’ve seen when guys go down or we have any rotation stuff, we don’t really miss a beat. It’s a great mentality to have, and I got a lot of appreciation for every guy in that room that they take it seriously.”
Jurgens played even though his back injury prevented him from practicing between Philadelphia’s 28-22 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 19 and Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.
“That was gritty of him,” Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said during his postgame press conference. “He hadn’t practiced all week. Really pushing through, and the resilience he showed coming in and being able to see the defense the way he was. Loved how he prepared. Obviously, the preparation showed.”
RELATED: JALEN HURTS LEADS EAGLES BACK TO SUPER BOWL: ‘DON’T DOUBT HIM’
Philadelphia’s victory over the Commanders lifted the Eagles into Super Bowl LIX, where they’ll play the Kansas City Chiefs at 5:30 p.m. CST Feb. 9 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
“It feels amazing,” Dickerson said. “Not only for me, but I know that every guy in that locker room is extremely happy. The work that we put in day in and day out, watching how every single guy in that locker room grinds every day getting rewarded to able to go and compete in the Super Bowl, it just means a lot.”
Dickerson said he’ll be ready to play.
“The knee’s good,” Dickerson said. “We’re going to be good. You’re going to get a little banged up. That’s football.”
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.