Jason Peters On Sproles Hit: 'That Was A Cheap Shot'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Eagles' left tackle Jason Peters, like the rest of his Eagles teammates, was enraged when Washington's Deshazor Everett leveled defenseless Darren Sproles on a punt return early in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-22 Washington victory over the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
"That was a cheap shot," said Peters in reference to the Everett hit on Sproles. "I wanted to get [Everett]. I was going to get him, but we don't have a backup left tackle right now. I just couldn't get thrown out of the game. I started thinking there was no one to back me up.
"DeSean [Jackson] kind of calmed me down. He's a friend of mine, him and Trent Williams. They got in front of me and joked to take it easy."
Peters was mindful that he was once ejected from a game against Washington on Sept. 21, 2014 for throwing punches at Redskins defensive tackle Chris Baker and other members of the Redskins during a scrum in the fourth quarter after Baker laid out then-Eagles quarterback Nick Foles with a block during an interception return.
That game also happened to be the last time the Eagles beat the Redskins.
"We were down to our third or fourth tackle, so if I were to get thrown out, I don't know who would have played left [tackle]. I reacted, but kept telling myself, 'Don't get thrown out of the game.' So I stepped back and let the referees break it up.
"[Sproles] is our teammate and we're going to try to go out there and rally around him. We get amped up all of the time [on the sidelines] when we stop people on defense. I don't know how riled up we got [after the Sproles hit], but we were pretty riled up because that was a cheap shot."
Peters said the Eagles had a great week of practice and he felt good about the game entering Sunday. It's been the mistakes—the same ones—that have plagued this team.
"If you would have asked me before the game, I would have told you we would win this game," Peters said. "I felt good, matching up with Washington. We should have beat them last time. It's just mistakes. We got a punt return called back and it was key plays. We're killing ourselves.
"[Doug Pederson] is doing a good job with what he has. We don't have the big-time names like we normally have, the firepower. We kill ourselves. Doug isn't out there getting holding calls. There were a lot of games that got away from us. We have to stick together and finish it.
"Look at the false starts on my deal, if you go back, that's my deal, getting off the rock, that's what I do. I take it as a positive with a new quarterback and we keep on moving."
Peters also addressed the effort question. He admits he doesn't think about the Hall of Fame. His priority is getting the Eagles to the playoffs and one day to the Super Bowl.
"I give me all, but the things about Philly the fans deserve so much more, but everything you do they want to criticize you," Peters said. "I go out and play as hard as I can every play. The false starts I've had more than this in one season, but when you're losing, everything is emphasized more.
"I won't get out of my game. My game is getting the rock quick. I talk the guys not giving what we feel is a good effort. I get on them during the week, I pull them aside and do everything that I leader is supposed to do, and sometimes it still doesn't work. So, you have to leave it up to the organization. You can only do so much. You sit the guys down, you lead by example, and you pull them to the side and talk to them and nothing.
"Let the organization deal with them if they're not giving an effort."
