Entering his first-ever career start at center, the stakes were plenty high for Brett Toth, the seventh-year veteran offensive lineman and former Army football standout out of Charleston, South Carolina.
Called upon at center amid a knee injury to anchor Cam Jurgens, Toth - a First Lieutenant from his West Point days - was tasked this time with leading the Eagles' offensive line in week eight against a vaunted opponent, as perennial All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and the New York Giants visited Lincoln Financial Field.
The versatile veteran - who, back in 2018, was the first-ever Black Knight to represent his school in the Senior Bowl - has primarily played tackle through the years, as well as guard most recently in what is now his third stint in Philadelphia. In his first-ever start manning the middle, though, it certainly didn't take Toth long to make his presence felt.
How Toth was able to help the Eagles' rushing attack against the Giants
On just the second play from scrimmage, Toth helped spring Saquon Barkley free for a 65-yard scamper to pay dirt. Throughout the contest, he stood tall at center and corralled Lawrence and company along a formidable Giants defensive line. Barkley (150 yards rushing, 10.7 yards per carry) and Tank Bigsby (104 yards, 11.6 yards per carry) powered a ground game that simply would not be denied, churning out chunk plays early and often in a 38-20 Eagles triumph.
Such a dominant rushing attack - 276 total yards on the ground - speaks volumes for the man in the middle. Having subbed in for Jurgens versus the Vikings last week, this time around, Toth answered the call and played four quarters of high-level football from start to finish.
"He (Toth) did a great job not only blocking but understanding the schemes and putting us in the right positions," said Barkley. "Hats off to him. I'm really proud of him."
It's been quite the journey thus far for Toth, who, after going undrafted out of the 2018 NFL Draft, has seemingly made his most significant impact in his third time around as a member of Philadelphia's offensive line unit. Under the tutelage of offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, he's been entrusted to step in whenever and wherever called upon. As someone who has worked tirelessly at multiple spots, he's clearly earned the respect of his teammates up front as well.
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"When we talk about Brett and what he means to this team, the patience he has waiting in the water, finally capitalizing on his opportunity at center, we knew he was a center," said tackle Jordan Mailata. "The last two weeks, I thought he put up two great games back-to-back. Nothing's a surprise. Because we know the player we have in Brett."