How Jordan Hicks Is Keeping the Philadelphia Eagles' Season Alive

If it weren't for Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks, the Dallas Cowboys might be running away with the NFC East right now. Instead, the Birds are right in the thick of a playoff hunt with a 4-4 record, thanks in large part to their third-round draft pick.

In improving to .500, the Eagles dealt the Cowboys their sixth consecutive loss on Sunday night—a streak which not coincidentally corresponds with the injury to quarterback to Tony Romo—an injury caused by Hicks. Hicks also proved instrumental in the 33-27 overtime victory over Philly's rival, racking up seven tackles to go along with a crucial interception of Matt Cassel and subsequent 67-yard touchdown return.

Yet, Hicks' momentum-changing pick-six may have never happened, much less mattered, if Romo had not suffered a broken collarbone in Week 2. And while nobody is rooting for injuries, there's no denying that play changed a few destinies around the NFL in 2015.

GMS	TKL	SK	PD	INT	FF	FR
8	50	1.0	3	2	1	3

After all, the Cowboys won 13 games just a season ago, coming within six points of appearing in the conference championship game. They were legitimate Super Bowl contenders this year as long as Romo was at the helm.

Without him, the division became wide-open for the taking, even for a slow-starting Eagles club. Philadelphia is only one game back of the 5-4 New York Giants for first place in the East—not to mention it already owns a head-to-head victory.

It all goes back to that moment in the Eagles' previous meeting with the Cowboys. Pressed into action due to injuries to Kiko Alonso and Mychal Kendricks, Hicks entered his first NFL game and made an immediate impact, finishing with seven tackles and the strip-sack of Romo, the shot that caused the break.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

It was a clean hit and a pure hustle on the 23-year-old's part—sad for the Cowboys, but with the benefit of hindsight, undeniably it altered the course of the Eagles' season.

The Eagles wound up losing that first meeting against the Cowboys by a final score of 20-10, as their record fell to 0-2 to kick off the year. However, Hicks' continued standout effort is one of the reasons why Philadelphia has gone 4-2 since and still has an opportunity to earn a division title and the playoff berth that goes with it.

In fact, Hicks is entering serious Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate territory. His 50 tackles are second on the team, with the impact plays to back it up—two interceptions, a forced fumble, three recoveries and one enormous sack.

GM	TKL	INT	FF/FR	FR
Wk 2 vs. DAL	7	0	1	0
Wk 3 @ NYJ	10	1	0	1
Wk 4 @ WAS	6	0	0	1
Wk 5 vs. NO	4	0	0	1
Wk 6 vs. NYG	10	0	0	0
Wk 7 @ CAR	6	0	0	0
Wk 9 @ DAL	7	1	0	0

Hicks has played so well, he's likely earned a permanent spot in the Eagles' rotation at interior linebacker. That's impressive in itself given the organization's investments in Alonso, Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans at the position. It's doubly impressive considering the third-round selection was buried on the depth chart heading into this season.

Unfortunately, the NFL's injury rate is 100 percent, and what goes around comes around. Hicks suffered an upper-body injury of his own late in the contest against the Cowboys, and while it's much too early to judge too severely, it sent him straight to the locker room.

Even if Hicks must miss significant time, however, he's already done his part to save the Eagles' season. Without his big plays, the Eagles may not have a handful of the wins they earned, let alone discovered a path to the playoffs through the NFC East.

You could say Hicks is the Eagles' most valuable player for the first half of 2015, both for his overall performance and the timeliness of his impact. It's always unfortunate to see an athlete get hurt, but were it not for the blow Hicks dealt to Romo early on, the latter portion of the schedule might not hold a whole lot of meaning for Philadelphia considering the way things began.