“I love you, brother.”

“I’m proud of you, man.”

As he took off his jersey nearly an hour after his Eagles’ victory, Fred Johnson pointed to a plastic bag at his feet containing a dirty white Bengals jersey.

“He gave that to me,” he said.

WHO?

“Trey.”

No kidding? They had shared a club for less than a calendar year, and Johnson was on his way out of Cincinnati when the Bengals brought in Trey Hendrickson, but he got Hendrickson’s game jersey?

Hendrickson was a free agent defensive end in 2021 worth $60 million. Johnson was an undrafted backup in his third NFL season, a mammoth of a man but a project offensive lineman with no guarantee he would ever see a fourth.

” READ MORE: “A Greater Purpose:” Inside Fred Johnson’s unlikely path to becoming a key Eagles offensive player

In fact, the way the NFL works makes some sense. Hendrickson was a defensive starter and therefore competed against Johnson, a backup, at every practice. That’s how they became friends. And so, after the Bengals waived Johnson in March 2022, Hendrickson followed Johnson’s path through Tampa Bay until the Buccaneers released him in November 2022. Johnson then went to Philadelphia, where he was signed to the practice squad for the first time this month, stabling him on a futures contract until the 2023 offseason, then signing a two-year deal in September 2023.

Sunday could have happened last month. When right tackle Lane Johnson missed two starts due to a concussion earlier this season, Fred Johnson was the next man up, and when he played well in New Orleans, redemption history would only be made in Tampa the next week. Except Fred Johnson gave up two sacks in Tampa.

” READ MORE: Jeff McLane: Did the Eagles find their offensive identity after beating the Bengals? Jalen Hurts says he pushed for it.

However, when Jordan Mailata was sidelined with a hamstring injury two weeks ago, Johnson was the next man up, but he gave up a sack against the Giants in an uninspired performance. But here too, a story of redemption had to be written, this time on Sunday in Cincinnati.

And this time, Fred Johnson was great.

No bags. No penalties. No kidding? No joke.

” READ MORE: Marcus Hayes: Jalen Hurts takes on college rival Joe Burrow in mismatched shoes as the Eagles win for the third straight time since the bye

It’s kind of amazing. Since the start of the 2020 season, Hendrickson has 60 sacks – only reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and 2021 DPOY TJ Watt have more – but on Sunday, Hendrickson never came close to Jalen Hurts. Fred Johnson played with a certainty that surprised even him. He couldn’t resist cleaning himself a little.

When the Eagles beat the Bengals by 20 points, Johnson tried to get the attention of the coach who cut him.

“I stared at Zac Taylor the whole time,” Johnson told a teammate, now brimming with redemption. “He wouldn’t look at me!”

Truth be told, it wasn’t revenge on Taylor or familiarity with Hendrickson that helped Johnson play perhaps the best game of his six NFL seasons. He just finally felt comfortable.

” READ MORE: Eagles Ratings vs. Bengals: Offense clicks with Jalen Hurts at his best and Saquon Barkley over 100 yards

“I guess I just gained some confidence,” he said. “That’s the only thing I didn’t have in the last game. You have to believe in yourself before anyone believes in you. Hopefully it shows in the film.”

Johnson will be a free agent again after this season, and he’ll need a lot more film than just Sunday film to convince GMs that he’s more than a 6-foot-1, 326-pound obstacle. At least it showed on Sunday against one of the best in the industry.

“He’s a damn good player. Tough as (expletive),” Johnson said of Hendrickson. “Hard as (double expletive).”

They didn’t look tough when it was over. They looked human.

Afterward, after the hug and handshake, Johnson asked Hendrickson for the shirt off his back. It started with a final hug and farewell words:

“I love you, brother,” Johnson told Hendrickson.

Hendrickson replied, “I’m proud of you, man.”

Cowboy disasters

Jerry Jones’ son, Jerry Jr., his daughter Charlotte Jones and their son, Shy Anderson Jr., were left seriously injured when their vehicle was struck by a rising barrier outside Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Anderson, who works in scouting, escaped uninjured, The Athletic reported, but Jerry Jr., who handles sales and marketing, suffered a minor head injury and Charlotte, the team’s brand boss, injured her ribs, but both were present Play along. Jerry Jones Sr. was in another car.

” READ MORE: The Eagles secondary goes after Ja’Marr Chase and throws a big interception

As the Cowboys fell to 3-4, Dak Prescott threw two interceptions, Mike McCarthy coached horribly again and cornerback Trevon Diggs left the closed locker room after the game to berate Dallas TV reporter Mike Leslie for asking a question on the social media Media had posted about a particular play where Diggs was chasing a receiver. In particular, Diggs invited the reporter to talk about Diggs’ genitals.

It was an innocuous tweet, albeit ill-conceived: Diggs came down the field and saved a touchdown and was perhaps justifiably upset. But so upset that he left the locker room and went to see the tweeter?

This is a sign of a team falling apart. Meanwhile, Leslie ironically announced that he would not be dealing with the sensitive matter.

Another anomaly

The Chiefs moved to 7-0 despite Patrick Mahomes, the NFL’s best player, throwing a ninth interception, the worst in the league, and posting a passer rating below 100 for the sixth straight game. Imagine how good they will be when it stops stinking.

Mercilessly under fire

Sean Payton – the same guy who said last year that his predecessor in Denver, Nathaniel Hackett, did “one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history” – delivered this beauty to weaken his own defense after the Broncos suffocated the Panthers had: “It’s not a good offense that we played. It’s just the truth.”

” READ MORE: DeVonta Smith’s unlikely TD catch for the Eagles highlights a good day against the Bengals

Mom’s spaghetti?

Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles tendon last week, giving Eminem Stan Jameis Winston the opportunity to prove himself NFL-ready after proving he wasn’t in the nine previous seasons. Winston went 5-for-11 with one touchdown and no interceptions in a narrow loss to the Bengals last week, then went 27-for-41 with three touchdowns, including a final one, in the starting lineup against the dangerous Ravens on Sunday. Minute game winner for the 2-6 Browns. He told CBS interviewer Amanda Balionis on the spot, quoting the well-known poet and philosopher from the gritty 8 Mile District, which spawned a film of the same name:

“There’s a white boy from Detroit that I really admire named Eminem. He said, “You only get one chance.” Don’t miss your chance to blow. “This opportunity only lasts once in a lifetime.” ”

Yes. Winston actually said that.

In a kind of reverse karma, now that they were without Watson, the serial accuser in the sexual abuse lawsuit, the Browns had a huge breakthrough: On the play before Winston’s game-winning touchdown, Kyle Hamilton, the best safety in football, threw an easy interception fall that would have sealed a victory for Baltimore.

Extra points

Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein, 36, missed a 44-yard field goal and an extra point – four points – in the Jets’ three-point loss to the woeful Patriots on Sunday. His six missed field goals lead the NFL. … After losing Super Bowl LVII two seasons ago, the Eagles lost offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, who became the Colts’ head coach, and DC Jonathan Gannon, who became the head coach at Arizona. Each is now 4-4 this season. … Jared Goff has a 154.9 passer rating in his last four games, but the balanced Lions haven’t needed much from him: He’s just 70 of 83 for 970 yards, with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. … The Falcons may have found something in Kirk Cousins, whose four-TD game lifted Atlanta to the top of the NFC South at 5-3. The Falcons beat the Buccaneers at home and the Eagles on the road.