The opportunity was there to take the mulligan but Eagles' edge rusher Bryce Huff didn't want the easy out.
The field conditions in Sao Paulo, Brazil during the Eagles' 34-29 Week 1 win over Green Bay were as difficult as it appeared with receiver Britain Covey calling the conditions worse than Super Bowl LVII and cornerback Avonte Maddox saying "the field was a little bit terrible."
The always tempered Huff was more political.
"It's unfortunate how that kind of played out for the rush and stuff but it is what it is," the fifth-year pro out of Memphis said.
The problem for Huff is transitioning from an overachieving part-timer with double-digit sack numbers and tremendous pressure percentages with the New York Jets to a $51 million man with the Eagles where consistent production is expected.
Opportunities to flash in the summer were limited by the presence of Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata at practice. Preseason work was scarce and a catch-22 because Huff was afforded more playing time than the other deference players on Vic Fangio's defense, something spun negatively by some.
Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers was the opportunity for Huff to change the narrative, something that was literally taken out from under his feet by the slippery turf at Corinthians Arena. Huff finished with one tackle and all zeros when it came to sacks, quarterback hits and QB pressures.
"I feel like I did a good job getting off the ball," said Huff. "I feel like I was able to get off the ball and beat my guys to the point. But then when it came to actually planting that foot and bending the edges is where we came into some adversity."
That adversity pushed things back 10 days to Week 2 and the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Finacial Field where the playing surface will be up to par.
"I been ready to get out there for a while now, just training camp and all summer, just thinking about that first time in the Linc so I'm excited to go in there and show what I can do," Huff said.
As for that mulligan. It was essentially there from Fangio and edge rushing coach Jeremiah Washburn but Huff isn't interested in any do-overs.
"I mean somewhat," Huff said when asked if the coaches took it easy, on the defensive front because of the playing surface. "But at the same time you don't want to make excuses, you want to promise to continue to get better and regardless of how the other field conditions [are] just find a way to get the the QB."
