In wake of Jalen Carter's ejection, his Eagles (and Georgia) teammate had biggest game of NFL career to date

PHILADELPHIA -- When Jalen Carter was ejected before playing a single snap, Jordan Davis knew his body was going to be put to the test. No Carter meant no defensive tackle rotation, so minimal plays off for Davis.

This is why Davis conditioned in the offseason. This is what he trained for: to be an every-down defensive tackle. 

"It's all in preparation for this," Davis said. "It's really been in the making since last season, so it's just coming to fruition. It's about being ready for the time when the time is called. I'm just going to continue that no matter how many snaps, whether that's two or 200, I'm trying to be out there and I'm more than ready."

Davis answered the call when the Eagles needed him, playing a whopping 86.9% of the snaps in the Eagles' victory over the Cowboys. Prior to Week 1, Davis had never played more than 65.3% of snaps in a game. That was Week 12 of the 2023 season against the Buffalo Bills, a 37-34 overtime thriller. 

Davis was physically drained after that game, but he's come a long way since then. 

"It's what we worked for. We're going out here, making the necessary changes," Davis said. "It's been in the works for a long time coming since the middle of last season, so for y'all to see what's going on and the trust they have in me."

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Not only did Davis play a lot of snaps, but he was productive for all four quarters. Davis had three pressures, a 9.7% pressure rate and just missed sacking Dak Prescott. The sack would have put Davis' pass-rushing prowess on notice. 

"You can't think about the ones you didn't get because you didn't get, but you have to think about the ones that could come," Davis said. "So, it's about looking into the future, looking forward. If you live in the past, if you dwell in the past, you won't see anything going forward."

There's a lot to look forward to regarding what Davis brings to the table as a pass rusher, which he displayed during last year's Super Bowl run. Davis had three pressures in 13 pass-rushing snaps, with a sack and a 30% pressure rate in the NFC Championship game. In Super Bowl LIX, Davis had just one pressure in nine pass-rushing snaps -- making it count with a sack.

Not only was Davis effective rushing the passer in Week 1, but he also had six combined tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. The Eagles found out what Davis is made of having now played a hefty snap count, and that will be key towards his development as an all-around defensive tackle. 

"He had a bunch of reps," defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "I don't think he could have played that amount of snaps as well as he did previously."