Carter’s Joy in Winning and the Challenge Ahead
PHILADELPHIA – In the intricate world of law, one learns the importance of asking questions only when certain of the answers. This wisdom echoed in the Eagles’ locker room on Friday, just two days before their pivotal matchup against the Buffalo Bills. A light-hearted query was posed to Michael Carter, the Eagles’ defensive back acquired in a midseason trade: “Was last week your first division title?” It was a question laden with context, as Carter previously played for the Jets, a franchise that has not claimed a division title since 2002. His response, punctuated by laughter, was a jovial, “For sure, yeah.”
Carter reflected on the significance of winning, saying, “It felt great to have that feeling and to be playing for something, especially in December. All the games leading up to it felt like big games. That was something a little new, but I felt comfortable. It just felt good to be in that environment where every game we play means something. Being part of that and being a part of the back-to-back was awesome. It was a special thing.”
Navigating a New Team
Since joining the Eagles, Carter hasn’t seen extensive playing time, but the value of being part of a winning team resonates deeply with him.
“It’s one of those things where you don’t take it for granted because it’s hard to win in the NFL. I lost a lot of games, so coming here and still seeing it, it’s still hard to win no matter what. But you find a way at the end of the day, and that’s what this team does at a really high level,” he shared. “It’s a really good team. I wouldn’t say that you have to go through it to understand, but going through what’s been, for me, to get to this point and be a division champion, it made it that much more special, for sure.”
Familiarity with the Bills
Carter’s upcoming clash with the Bills is particularly noteworthy, given his experience in the AFC East since being drafted by the Jets in 2021. Over his career, he has faced the Bills multiple times but has only tasted victory against them twice, both on home turf.
“For some reason, when we played Buffalo, we’d always face them early at MetLife and then later in Buffalo,” he explained. “You know how it is later in the year in Buffalo; it’s brutal weather-wise. They believe it’s an advantage for them. You get what you think when you go to Buffalo – it’s cold, it’s windy, whatever you may think. I like the environment, too. They have passionate fans, so it’s always exciting to play there.”
Weathering the Storm
As the Eagles prepare for their visit to Buffalo, Sunday’s forecast predicts temperatures in the 40s, accompanied by wind and rain, possibly even sleet. While not the worst conditions, the weather adds an element of unpredictability to an already challenging game.
To break the Bills’ four-game winning streak and extend their own to three, Carter emphasized the importance of stopping the run. “For one, stopping the run is huge,” he noted. “We know what they bring to the table with that and how successful they’ve been this year. So just stopping the run, and two, making sure we tackle well. That’s on the running backs, the receivers, who are really good at getting yards after catch, and (Josh Allen) as well. We need to keep him in the pocket and get him down.”
As the Eagles gear up for this critical encounter, Michael Carter’s laughter over past struggles is a reminder of how far he has come and the challenges yet to be faced.
