NFL Playoffs: Four former Tennessee Vols impacted divisional games; Two remain
4. player. 54. . Defensive End. Philadelphia Eagles. Derek Barnett
It was his first appearance ever in the NFL Playoffs. And although his name wasn’t called much, it’s safe to say Derek Barnett had an impact for the Philadelphia Eagles.
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His team was playing the high-powered Atlanta Falcons offense and did not have their own starting quarterback, obviously, in Carson Wentz. So Barnett and co. definitely were set to have their hands full.
Yet with his help, the Eagles’ defense held Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and that offense to just 10 points. They also had an amazing goal line stand at the end to get the win.
As a result, Barnett is one of the two former Vols advancing to the NFC Championship game. Now, he didn’t stand out with his numbers. The guy had no tackles in the game. That’s why he’s last on this list.
However, he did get a hit on Ryan and was one of the guys who played a part in softening him up throughout the game. He was also getting quite a few hurries late in the game, despite never finishing plays. Once a sack machine in college who also racked up some stats as a rookie in the pros, Barnett has been more effective in simply disrupting plays so far this year.
But, to be fair, if you go back and watch, the Falcons held him a lot too. So it goes both ways. Either way, Barnett is heading to the NFC Championship to face the Minnesota Vikings. So he’s seeing quite a bit of success his first year in the league.