Eagles In Good Hands With Safety With Knack For Making Interceptions In Big Spots

Maybe this was something we should have seen coming two years ago when Reed Blankenship, in his first extended playing time of his rookie season, read then-Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers like his favorite book.

Blankenship was pressed into duty on that late November day after C.J. Gardner-Johnson departed during the game with a lacerated kidney. Until then, his defensive workload consisted of two snaps the previous week. Before that even, he had been inactive for six of his first seven games.

That's the life of an undrafted free agent, which Blankenship was out of Middle Tennesse State. You make the roster first then scratch and claw to get on the field from there.

Blankenship has done just that and made an instant impact in that game against Green Bay by picking off the great Rodgers by driving hard on the ball as it was released in the direction of Tyler Davis. Blankenship flew right past the unsuspecting Davis on the play to blunt a Packers drive in what turned into a 40-33 win for the Eagles.

Two years later, Blankenship is still picking off passes. He has played in 28 games, 22 of them as a starter, and he has six career interceptions.

They always seem to come in big spots, too.

His first one this season came in the opener in Brazil when he swiped one from Jordan Love, the heir to Rodgers in Green Bay, midway through the third quarter. On the fourth play after that, Saquon Barkley burst into the end zone from two yards away to give the Eagles a 31-26 that they would never give back.

His second came last week in New Orleans with 48 seconds to play in the game to seal the Eagles’ 15-12 victory because all the offense had to do after that was kneel a couple times to run out the clock.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was asked on Tuesday what the key was to Blankenship ability to be around the ball and make interceptions at critical times.

“He's got good hands,” said the DC. “Both of his picks this year are carbon copies. Very tough catches that a lot of guys couldn't make. So his ability to catch the ball is one thing.

“Two, he does have a good feel for the game. And when he has a chance to be in position to make a play, he usually can. But the ability to catch the ball is number one.”

Blankenship led the Eagles with three interceptions last year, a number that could grow even higher with 14 games still left in the season.