Just over one week ago, Darius Slay was bullied by DK Metcalf to the tune of 177 yards. Jim Schwartz doubled down on his CB1, saying he didn’t need Safety help. DaVante Adams stepped up to the plate on Monday night and put up 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Schwartz has seemingly placed even more chips onto the table.
“One-on-one defense is hard to do in the NFL, particularly with some of the marquee wide receivers, marquee quarterbacks, and stuff like that.” The defensive coordinator told reporters on Tuesday. “Sometimes holding your own is a win when there is a lot of spotlight on you and stuff like that.
I think that he’d probably be the first person to say that he hasn’t played his best football these last two games, but that’s not going to change the way we handle him. That is not going to change the plan for him.
Like any other player, we just got to get out of that and get him winning those matchups. I have every confidence that he will. He’s a veteran player. He has a long track record. You can’t show me a corner in the NFL that hasn’t had a bad game or two regardless of what their level is.
We have a lot of confidence that he’ll get back and do a lot of the good things for our defense.”
There’s no questioning that Darius Slay is a Pro Bowl talent. There’s no doubting his prowess on an Island or his ability to generate magical plays through his tremendous instincts. But that doesn’t mean he’s super-human and it doesn’t mean he won’t need some help every now and again.
I wrote last week about this very issue and how it could well be a problem for the defense over the final months of the season. It’s not like Slay has a chance to find his confidence here, either. After a deleted tweet expressing some clear frustration, one can only imagine the pressure Slay is facing right now.
On the horizon lies Michael Thomas, DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, and Terry McLaurin. Four wideouts who combined have 3,198 yards between them. All of whom are regarded by many as top-tier receivers, and all of whom have the ability to wreak absolute havoc if not accounted for properly.
Michael Thomas has missed a lot of time this season due to a hamstring injury and a reported fight with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Since returning, he’s made up for the lost time by racking up 100+ yards in 2 of his last 3 contests.
Jim Schwartz has every right to believe Darius Slay is capable of holding his own against elite wideouts. That’s why he drafted him back in 2013 and it’s why the Eagles signed him to a three-year deal worth $50.5 million. But Schwartz is showing total negligence to accept the fact that giving him bracketed coverage, changing up concepts, or providing a safety over the top is going to actually benefit the defense and help Slay against some of the most problematic receivers in the NFL. In doing so, he’s stinging his defense, he’s hurting the cornerback, and he’s hurting the chances of his unit helping Doug Pederson get back on track – another sentiment he preached today.
This is the second week in a row where Slay has had a bad day at the office. It happens. He can’t be expected to carry the unit every single week. But now he’s nicked up with an injury, struggling, and faces an onslaught of elite receiving talent who will be licking their lips at the chance of going on an Island right now.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen this from Schwartz. Nate Gerry is a prime example of a player who just wasn’t good enough for a key defensive role, but was constantly exposed to one due to a vote of confidence from Schwartz. Jalen Mills at cornerback could arguably be another. At some point, it’s okay to admit that these players may need a helping hand and that the scheme isn’t perfect.
Jim Schwartz is sticking to his guns, as every good coach should. But we just have to hope the barrel is pointing in the right direction.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
