Travis Fulgham had a breakout game with 10 catches or 152 yards in Week 5. The former practice squad player discusses how he and his QB have gotten on the same page so quickly.
The most impressive thing Travis Fulgham did Sunday wasn’t the 10 catches and it wasn’t the 152 yards and it wasn’t the touchdown.
The most impressive thing Fulgham did was take the blame for a play that wasn’t his fault.
The only pass Fulgham didn’t come up with on Sunday was a 3rd-and-5 with 3 ½ minutes left in the game and the Eagles down 31-29.
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Fulgham got past the sticks and Carson tried to connect with him, but Joe Haden was all over Fulgham and tipped the ball away. Jerry Rice wouldn’t have caught that pass. Fulgham had no chance. It could have been pass interference, but it wasn’t, and that’s when Doug Pederson sent Jake Elliott out for a 57-yard field goal that he missed.
Here’s what Fulgham said about it:
“I absolutely should have made that play. That's on me. I should have come up with that play to continue the drive and hopefully give the team the win.”
So not only is he suddenly the Eagles’ best receiver out of nowhere, he’s humble and accountable. Something that seems to be missing around here sometimes.
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Why exactly did the Lions and Packers release this kid in August?
Doesn’t matter now.
Fulgham is an Eagle, and if his first two games are any indication, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
“First of all, he's a beast,” Carson Wentz said. “He showed up today, showed really last week the two big plays he had, they weren't a fluke. Kid is a baller. Made a lot of big plays and I was really proud of him and pumped for him.”
Last Saturday, the Eagles signed Fulgham from the practice squad to the roster. In the win over the 49ers, he had his first two career catches, including a 42-yard touchdown. Sunday, in the Eagles’ 38-29 loss in Pittsburgh, he was unstoppable, with 10-for-152 and another TD.
He wasn’t even on the team for the Washington and Rams games, but he already leads the Eagles in receiving yards.
His 152 yards are the most ever by any Eagle within his first five career games and the most against the Steelers since Gronk had 168 three years ago, and his 209 yards are the most by anybody in their first two games as an Eagle since T.O. in 2004.
“I'm just trying to do what I can,” Fulgham said. “If Carson throws me the ball, just come down with it and make the play. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get the win, but we'll keep building on it. … Carson's a great quarterback. He's putting the ball on the money, and I'm just coming up with the play.”
Fulgham is only the 11th player in Eagles history with 10 or more catches and 150 or more yards in a game.
He now has one fewer 150-yard game in an Eagles uniform than Mike Quick, Harold Carmichael and Pete Retzlaff had in their entire Eagles careers combined.
He had more yards in the second half Sunday (85) than any Eagles receiver had in in the previous nine games.
He’s got as many 30-yard catches in the last two games as any other Eagles wide receiver over the last two years.
He’s been on the roster for 10 days.
“He played well, played tough,” Doug Pederson said. “Made some great catches, big third downs for us. It was really good to see from him. … You know, just something that we've got to sustain each week. He had the big catch out in San Francisco and then big catches today. Just something we got to continue to build on and get all our skill guys in that position.”
Why did Fulgham keep getting the ball?
“I go where the defense dictates that I go with the ball,” Wentz said. “His number got called a lot more today because he was in the right position. He made some great plays.. … He had the hot hand today. He’s a heck of a player, and we're going to keep building on that.”
Can this last?
Is he really this good?
Have the Eagles finally landed the young stud receiver they’ve been desperately looking for … off the waiver wire?
Too early to say, although he sure doesn’t look like a fluke to me.
It’s been a while since any young receiver made this sort of impact around here this quickly. You have to go back to DeSean Jackson in 2008 and Jeremy Maclin in 2009.
So just enjoy it. Because it may not happen again for a long, long time.