Last night, Eric Rowe got his initiation to the NFL..the game that showed just how competitive the league is, even in pre-season. The rookie corner struggled hugely against the Jets, but there isn’t a huge cause for concern and here’s why.
He wasn’t alone in the struggle.
Rowe had a rollercoaster of a night against the Jets, but he wasn’t the only one. Jaylen Watkins seemed to struggle when it came to completing tackles. The second year corner allowed an 18-yard reception for a touchdown on the Jets first drive. He was completely blown open in man coverage in a play that he simply had to make. However just a couple of drives later he bounced straight back with a leaping interception. The depth at Secondary is a little questionable but it won’t be Rowe who’s on the bubble..it will be Watkins.
There were positives to take
The one main positive was that he didn’t let the poor plays ruin his night. He bounced straight back following a huge loss to make a big play. Rowe was quick, if anything too quick! He looked good until it got to the top of the route in which the receiver would cut inside or curl back. At that point, Rowe would often be late on the decision or be caught sleeping. But the good news is he wasn’t being burnt out every play like we saw a certain Cowboys receiver do to Fletcher last year..he has the speed and the physique to be a real threat at corner and his tackling is certainly a positive compared to Watkins. He is able to bring a man down no more than a step or two after making a catch, which for a rookie is very impressive.
The learning curve
It’s easy to knock Rowe for his shaky performance last night until you remember that he has only played a total of one year at the position. He played at safety for most of his college career and has not only been asked to play outside but also inside corner for the Eagles. It doesn’t help that JaCorey Shepherd fell injured since the expectation now falls onto the rookies shoulders. But you have to appreciate that as a complete package, he is looking very promising for someone of so little experience at the position.
The perfect term to describe Rowe would be a diamond in the rough. He has shown flashes of brilliance in what has otherwise been a rollercoaster pre-season. The core skills are there and they were all highlighted last night. However so were his weaknesses. The good thing here is that the team now have 10 days to go over game film before their week one season opener against Atlanta. It’s enough time to refine Rowe’s game and correct the mistakes before coming up against the biggest challenge of his career. There’s no need to panic, Rowe has all the potential in the world, it’s just a case of harnessing it.
