Bleeding Green Nation
Analyzing Philadelphia’s defensive performance from their Week 10 win over the Cowboys.
Well, it appears that this Philadelphia Eagles defense is awesome. This was another fantastic performance, but you have to put a huge asterix next to it because Cooper Rush and this Dallas Cowboys’ offense were absolutely awful. They were not competitive. How bad must Trey Lance be?! Anyway, despite the weak competition, I enjoyed this one a lot. Let’s get into why. (Previously: Eagles-Cowboys offensive film review)
I was very critical of C.J. Gardner-Johnson last week, so it’s only fair that I credit him this week. He bounced back and played really well. The first play of the game set the tone for the rest of the game. One thing I really like about this Eagles’ defense right now is the aggresiveness in the flat. They aren’t giving up easy yardage and they are trying to defend every single inch of the field. This is a big difference from previous iterations of this defense.
Here’s another example. Cooper DeJean has turned this defense around. He’s the perfect modern day nickel cornerback as he looks like he could play cornerback, safety, or linebacker. He flies downhill with real intensity and aggression and blows up this play in the backfield. However, he does miss the tackle. Rallying to the football is one of the best traits of basically any good defense. Look at the hustle that Nolan Smith and Zack Baun show here to get to the receiver. How good is it to see 3 young athletes combining to make the play. I love this play!
This play is going to be my ‘Concept of the Week’ this week, so I’m not going to get into the design of the play. I will, however, point out the absolute star that is Quinyon Mitchell. Defensive rookie of the year? Although it’s really hard for a defensive back to win it without any star plays, real analysts will recognise that he should absolutely be in the conversation. He is going to go up against Terry McLaurin a lot on Thursday night, and a big performance will increase his national profle. He’s been so good. There’s no obvious weaknesses with him and he seems to do everything well already.
I don’t know what else to add about Zack Baun. He’s awesome every single week. The Eagles need to sign him as soon as possible because the price tag is increasing. I like to think that I am a realistic, rational sports fan, and I understand the business involved in sports. But I will be furious if Baun ends up on another team next year. The Eagles must pay this guy. I’ve been dreaming of a linebacker like this for years!
I’ll get to Jalen Carter later because he’s also awesome, but it’s worth pointing out that he is frequently being double-teamed, and offensive linemen are struggling to get to the second level. This makes it much easier for both Baun and...
