Eagles Get Big Plays from Unlikely Sources in Win Over 49ers

Most Eagles fans had never heard of wide receiver Travis Fulgham or linebacker Alex Singleton.

They sure know who they are now.

"I knew once he got his opportunity he was going to make the most of it," Eagles defensive back Jalen Mills said about Fulgham after the win on Sunday night.

Fulgham made a key catch, scoring his first NFL touchdown, in the Eagles 25-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The 25-year old had two catches for 57 yards and hauled in a 42-yard touchdown pass from Carson Wentz.

"I have seen him with this team for awhile now, going up against out defense on the scout team," Wentz explained.

A 2019 sixth-round pick from Old Dominion by the Lions, he played in three games with Detroit, going without a catch before he was waived. He was picked up by the Green Bay Packers, who waived him and landed with the Eagles, who signed him to the practice squad.

"I do remember him in the draft," said Doug Pederson. "We had some good grades on him and really liked him at the time. But he was somebody that we definitely -- when he became available to grab and grab him and get him in here and get him working. He's a kid that, just, again, he comes to work and enjoys coming and enjoys being out there on the grass and being around his teammates."

With injuries decimating the Eagles receiving corps, Fulgham was promoted to the active roster.

"He was making plays against our defense on the scout team and making flash plays, and of course he was working on special teams, as well, and felt, obviously with the injury situation at the receiver spot, he earned it," Pederson continued. "He earned an opportunity to come up and play and he played well yesterday. Had the big catch for the touchdown, and it was great to see."

The big catch he made came with barley any reps during practice when Wentz and Fulgham connected on a beautiful 42-yard touchdown.

"We broke the huddle I told him, be ready," stated Wentz .

"I knew there was a good shot he was going to throw the ball to me," Fulgham said after the game.  I came off the line, kinda of beat the corner and do what I do everyday in practice.

Fulgham said that he lost the ball initially, but since Wentz's throw was right on the money, he was able to locate it and haul it in for the score.

The Eagles wide receiving unit has been ravaged by injuries, three wide outs appeared on the inactive list due to injuries, and another, first-round pick Jalen Reagor was place on the injured reserve list last week.

Whether Fulgham will continue to get chances remains to be seen, but we have seen that the bright lights of Sunday Night Football were not too bright for him.

"Honestly, I hope we have those tough choices to make with the guys we got, the guys we got coming down the pipeline here," Pederson acknoThat would be a great situation because right now, we're not in that situation. So it would be great to have those choices."

"Quite honestly, we'll figure that out when we get to that point and we cross that bridge," Pederson continued. "Right now, obviously with a guy like Travis, he's earned his spot to come up and play and help us compete and try to win on Sunday."

He wasn't the only player to step up under the bright lights of a prime time NFL game.  Linebacker Alex Singleton was pressed into duty when T.J. Edwards was forced from the game with a hamstring injury.

"Next man up, you don't want to be the weak link, you want to be the strong link," Singleton said.

The former CFL defensive player of the year made an immediate impact, making a pair of tackles and picking of a Nick Mullens pass and taking it 30-yards to the end zone for a key Eagles touchdown.

"He threw the ball right to me," Singleton said after the game. "My heart kind of skipped a beat, I knew I had to get in the end zone."

They were exactly the type of plays the Eagles needed to pick up their first win of the season.