The defensive side of the ball in Philadelphia has taken some heat over the last couple of weeks, partly because the team has lost back-to-back games.
It didn’t help their cause that in the process, they gave up a 21-0 lead vs Dallas and almost 300 yards rushing to Chicago.
The Eagles offense went to sleep in the 2nd half vs Dallas which forced the D to be on the field a lot. Then, the defense had very little time to recover as they had a short week heading into the Black Friday game vs Chicago. Losing their starting Safety, Andrew Makuba, to a broken ankle (possibly season-ending) at the end of the Dallas Debacle didn’t help matters either.
However, the defense has looked dejected and unenthused due to the lack of efficiency from their offense. The Eagles have averaged only 15.5 points over the last 4 games. The offense has failed to find a way to stay on the field consistently. The blame for the offensive struggles has fallen on Head Coach Nick Sirianni, Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo, WR A.J. Brown, RB Saquon Barkley, and, most recently, QB Jalen Hurts. Brown has continued to make pre-snap mental errors. Barkley and Hurts have combined for 3 turnovers during the 2-game losing streak, which is out of character for those two players.
Since returning from injury, LB Nakobe Dean has been playing at a high level. He’s been stellar in run defense, a great open field tackler, and has done well as the primary blitzer. However, rookie LB Jihaad Campbell has seen a reduction in snaps, so much so that he didn’t even get in the game vs Chicago. This is surprising, especially given how much the defense has been on the field as of late. Backup Safety Sydney Brown was forced into action after Makuba went down against Dallas. Sydney Brown is a good special teams player; however, he has struggled in coverage at times and was non-existent vs the run when Philly got gashed by Chicago on Friday. So much so that reserve Safety Marcus Epps (recently activated from injured reserve) may get some playing time vs the Chargers next Monday night. The Eagles also have CB Michael Carter II, who DC Vic Fangio has mentioned as someone who could take some snaps at the Safety position.
The defense is still very young, and it’s natural to experience growing pains along the way.
Part of the problem this year, compared to 2024, is the lack of veteran leadership.
With the departures of DE Josh Sweat and CB Darius Slay via free agency, and the trade of Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the team has lacked the wisdom of some much-needed vets. This is why the team decided to bring back DE Brandon Graham out of retirement, and why some Philly fans wanted CJGJ back when he was released from the Texans and the Ravens (he is now thriving in Chicago, by the way). Some are even wanting “Big Play” Slay back now that he has been released from Pittsburgh. However, Slay was claimed by Buffalo but has since told them that he’s contemplating retirement.
The defense feeds off the energy from a good offense. However, when the offense continues to struggle to put up points or even stay on the field for more than 3 plays, the defense pays the price. The defense played well vs Green Bay and Detroit, but they can only hold water for so long. Philly’s D is feeling overworked, and it’s starting to show. Even professional athletes(they are still humans) get tired, frustrated, and discouraged at times.
Let me put it this way: when we eat, we take more than 3 bites, right? Most of us eat until we are full.
This has not been the case for the D in Philly. Especially with the offense going 3-and-out for long stretches of game time, leaving the defense barely time to catch its collective breath, let alone consult with its position coaches. Fangio coaches from up in the booth, so the defense has to take what they can get from the sideline personnel.
The offense is the protein in the defense’s diet.
Meaning, when the offense doesn’t eat, the defense will starve too.
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