A familiar face burned the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the first half of their Week 6 game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Leading 10-3 in the final seconds of the half, after limiting Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson to 46 passing yards, the Eagles were forced to settle for a 57-yard field goal attempt.
Kicker Jake Elliott had no chance.
Browns superstar Myles Garrett hurdled an Eagles lineman and blocked Elliott’s kick. Veteran safety Rodney McLeod Jr. — who spent six years in Philly, including their Super Bowl championship during the 2017 season — scooped up the loose ball and was off to the races for a 50-yard, game-tying special teams touchdown.
Myles block + Rod return = tie ballgame#CLEvsPHI on @NFLonFox and NFL+ pic.twitter.com/bXuspyqnrX
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 13, 2024
McLeod had a great tenure in Philadelphia. His legacy there is cemented, after he made some big plays during the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history. Fans would have welcomed him back with open arms in 2022, when he left for a modest one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts.
Still going at age 34, now in his 13th season, McLeod’s huge play at the place he used to call home could leave behind a ripple effect.
The Eagles entered Sunday’s game against the Browns fully healthy and rested off a bye week. The Browns limped into the Linc bruised, battered and riding a three-game losing skid.
A loss at home to this Browns team — even with a flukey play like McLeod’s touchdown being the linchpin — would leave owner Jeffrey Lurie with little choice but to consider wholesale changes.
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