It feels like only yesterday that fans and media alike were hesitant to give the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense or its coordinator much credit. A sloppy 2-2 start was met with plenty of apprehension, but since that awful loss to the Bucs, this group has only gotten better. Their most recent achievement? Bottling up the NFL’s 2nd-leading rusher in Derrick Henry, and holding one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL to just 12 points (outside of a garbage time TD).
The Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl blueprint is repeating
We all know the blueprint in Philadelphia. Young cornerstones who can lead this group for the next 5 years or so. Up front, the tandem of Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter continue to wreak havoc, while their fellow Georgia graduate, Nolan Smith, has finally kicked into gear and is riding a wave of unbreakable confidence. That counts for a lot, and it’s clear that Smith is beginning to find his footing in the NFL.
After a quiet rookie season, he has 4.5 sacks and 5 TFL along with 7 QB hits. An impact player against the Ravens, the Eagles needed Smith to step up following the injuries to both Brandon Graham and Bryce Huff, and over the last two weeks, he’s done exactly that.
Elsewhere, rookies Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell continue to shine. The two cornerbacks have burst onto the scene and much like Nolan Smith, are brimming with confidence. Nothing says that quite like DeJean getting as low as humanly possible to charge head-on into Derrick Henry, one of the most physical backs in all of football…and completely flatten him.
Meanwhile, Mitchell showcased his twitchy hips and fluid speed once more as he blanketed the speedy Zay Flowers on a few potential deep shots on Sunday. Forget Defensive Rookie Of The Year, Mitchell is playing like a top corner in the NFL, and again, in a situation where Darius Slay was unable to play, the performances of both him and Isaiah Rodgers meant all the difference in Maryland.
That’s become the theme for the Eagles. Much like it was in 2017, depth is the name of the game. When Jordan Mailata went down with an injury, Fred Johnson was able to step in and hold the front.
C.J McCollum made a crucial pass breakup to essentially ice the game against the Ravens after Reed Blankenship headed to the tent with a concussion.
The EDGE rushers have all upped their game in vital moments where the depth around them is minimal, ensuring that guys like Jalen Carter can still shine just as bright despite losing some crucial support.
While the Eagles are yet to truly find their ceiling this season, it’s safe to say that the floor is extremely high. With insurance policies at every position that would make most teams envious, the Philadelphia roster isn’t just stacked with top-end talent, but players who can be leaned on when push comes to shove…just as the likes of Beau Allen, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Bryan Braman, and Trey Burton did before them.
Can they go on to repeat that same success? Who knows? But for the Eagles to rally so hard after such a disappointing start, carrying echoes of the team that reached the top of the Mountain back in 2017, it’s hard not to get excited.
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
