For Matt Pryor, 2020 has been a "roller coaster." The offensive lineman who has become a plug-in-and-go player at both the guard and tackle spots returns to right tackle on Sunday at Arizona, replacing Jack Driscoll, who suffered a knee injury last week in the win over New Orleans.
Pryor makes his second start at right tackle this season, having started against Seattle a few weeks ago. He has also started six games at right guard. In Training Camp, leading up to the start of the regular season at Washington, Pryor practiced at left tackle and was in line to start there until Jason Peters moved from right guard to his familiar left tackle spot.
Versatility has its advantages.
"You're supposed to take advantage of whatever opportunity you get, and that's what I've been trying to do all year," he said this week in a virtual press conference with reporters. "It's been a roller coaster. Some things were unexpected. Some weren't."
The Eagles are planning their 13th different starting offensive line combination in 14 games for Sunday as Pryor prepares to see edge rusher Haason Reddick, who last week notched five quarterback sacks in the Cardinals' 26-7 win over the New York Giants, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Arizona uses a lot of different personnel groupings and can, at times, go with its speed group using a heavy mix of linebackers and defensive backs to chase down a quarterback.
So, Pryor and his offensive linemates must be prepared for a lot of different looks on Sunday, just as they have to be prepared for so many moving parts along the offensive line.
"It helps a lot knowing that you're just focusing on that one position," Pryor said. "At the same time, you kind of want to know what everyone is responsible for during a game. That way, you know what to expect when they give you a certain front or you see a certain look. It's good to know what everybody is responsible for."
The Eagles have been using their "look" team, the scout team, to copy Arizona's defense using speed players. Pryor says he will be ready for everything and anything on Sunday.
"We ask them to kind of mimic the playing style of the opponent we're playing against," Pryor said. "That way we have a good look at it, we get the repetition at it. It's just preparation. Not going to be really surprised by anything because of how we handle our week of practice."
