Defensive line
The Eagles may have only tallied one sack last night, but the pressure speaks for itself.
Tom Brady was held without a touchdown for just the second time this year and also was also forced into a new career-high in incompletions. Spicy.
It was really encouraging to see Schwartz make some key adjustments. 5-man fronts, stand-up blitzers, it was great. The defensive line did a lot of damage against the Patriots, who just insisted on getting the ball out rapidly, no matter what.
As for the run defense, allowing 74 yards on the ground is impressive, and is no less than we’ve come to expect.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
Nate Gerry still struggled, (and somehow led the team in tackles, so nice?) but Kamu Grugier-Hill made play after play and really imposed his will against his former team.
They weren’t perfect and there were a lot of plays given up over the middle, but they were better than we’d seen in recent weeks.
Grade: C
Cornerback
I’m not going to be able to live this down all week, but Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills played brilliantly. There, I said it. Happy?
You couldn’t ask for more from the two, aside from fixing the miscommunication errors that have plagued them every week and did once more on Sunday.
Darby was fast and aggressive and showed willingness as a tackler, even if it did end with mixed success, while Mills has shown a complete rejuvenation since his return to action.
Avonte Maddox helped keep one of the NFL’s best slot receivers in check, and Craig James even made some plays!
Not a lot to scoff at here, impressive stuff.
Grade: B+
Safety
Rodney McLeod may have dropped a surefire pick, but the Safeties played reasonably well. Malcolm Jenkins came out swinging and was a force all around the field which was refreshing to see, and Rudy Ford was an under-the-radar stud considering the increased workload thanks to the cutting of Sendejo.
The entire defensive backfield was really strong against the Patriots, I wish the same could be said for the offense.
Grade: B+
Specialists
Jake Elliott became the first Eagles kicker to start his season with 13 consecutive successful field goal attempts, and Cameron Johnston’s leg is made of titanium.
Grade: A
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
