PHILADELPHIA -- Every so often Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore talks a little trash, and that is what happened following the 17-10 win over the Eagles on Sunday.
While Ertz finished with nine receptions for 94 yards, the Patriots did a solid job of not letting him beat them, as he was the only offense the Eagles had. Nearly half of Carson Wentz's passing yards went to the tight end.
New England threw a bunch of different coverages at him, including All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore at times.
“It’s from coaching down," Gilmore said after the game. "Sometimes I was going to be on him. Sometimes the safety was going to be on him. You can’t line up in one thing the whole time. You have to keep him thinking. That is one thing we did today. He didn’t know who was going to be on him at certain times. It helped us out a lot.”
Ertz appeared frustrated at times, something Gilmore saw as well.
“Yeah, he was crying," he said. "He did that on film a lot. If you get into him, he don’t get the ball, or if he don’t get a call, he’ll cry. But, he’s a good receiver. He’s a good tight end. He’s a great player.”
Gilmore added: “Yeah, he’s a great player, but when he doesn’t get it the way — he complains to the ref. We don’t do that.”
This wasn't the first time Gilmore has covered an opposing tight end, as he was on Travis Kelce in the AFC title game. So, was being matched up with Ertz similar to Kelce?
“They are kind of the same," said Gilmore. "Great players. I think Ertz push off a little bit more, but they are great players.”
While Gilmore enjoys frustrating the opposition, he quickly moves on because he knows things can change in a split-second.
“I just kind of put it behind me and focus on the next thing. If you can make that play and give up something else, then you’re talking about something else. I just try and move on to the next play.”
With the win, the Patriots are 9-1 and remain one game up on the Ravens in the AFC.
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