This was an odd Philadelphia Eagles defensive performance to assess, as it was far from perfect on a down-to-down basis, but full of big plays that swung the game. The defense gave up yardage and made mistakes, yet still created two interceptions, scored a defensive touchdown, and held the Minnesota Vikings to just one touchdown on six red zone trips. The secondary is still learning to gel, but they made enough impact plays when it mattered.
The Eagles rank near the bottom of the league in success
rate but near the top in EPA per drive, and this game was the perfect encapsulation of that. There’s some good stuff in this one. Let’s go!
Defense
Every week, it feels like the communication still isn’t quite there with this Eagles’ secondary. There are always a few reps I have to go back and figure out what has happened, because the team isn’t clicking like it was last year. Fangio’s scheme is tough to learn, so this isn’t a surprise, but it would be nice to iron these things out before the end of the season. Without knowing exactly the call (I think it’s Cover 8 – but even that can be coached in different ways), I believe Mukuba spent too long passing off the crosser, Quinyon Mitchell didn’t drop deep enough, and the Vikings capitalized for a big gain. It’s hard to assign exact blame, but the result was another reminder that this group still isn’t on the same page. The secondary remains a bit of a work in progress.
The corners were too soft at times in this game, and it gave the Vikings too many easy completions. Minnesota hit the same quick outs over and over again. I thought the coverage depth was far too conservative, allowing Carson Wentz to complete passes underneath without resistance. I think they could have challenged receivers and disrupted timings more at the LOS. It led to this idea of a ‘bend but don’t break’ defense, which I don’t always love.
Cooper DeJean was once again the standout. Whether lined up outside or in the slot, he was phenomenal. Jordan Addison is a tough cover, but DeJean shadowed him effortlessly here. He’s physical without being grabby, and his instincts are superb. He was sticky in man and decisive in zone, and his play strength stood out too.
Obviously, a big talking point this week was that Fangio used Jihaad Campbell at EDGE in base looks with Nakobe Dean as an off-ball linebacker. I’ve been pretty clear that I don’t think Campbell is an EDGE defender, and I think Vic Fangio agrees with me. Despite lining up at EDGE, Campbell only rushed the quarterback 3 times all game. That’s not something you see an EDGE defender do! Campbell was mostly dropping into coverage, which helped disguise coverages pre-snap. I think it was a great idea for this week. The Vikings played quite a lot of heavy personnel, so we saw a fair bit of base defense this week. It will be interesting to see what else the Eagles do to get Dean on the field against teams that live in 11 personnel.
The run defense was much better this week. Jordan Davis looked dominant again after a disappointing game against the Giants. He anchored double teams and completely shut down interior runs. With Nakobe Dean back, the team was comfortable playing Baun and Campbell on the edges in six-man fronts, which made a noticeable difference. This looked closer to the unit we saw early last year against the run.
The highlight of the game: Jalyx Hunt’s interception return for a touchdown. I’ve been calling for Hunt to drop into coverage more, and this is why! This was classic Fangio. This is a perfectly designed trap disguised as man coverage pre-snap. The Eagles showed a five-down look, making Wentz think he had a favorable matchup against Justin Jefferson, who was isolated against Andrew Mukuba. At the snap, Hunt dropped from the line into the passing lane, and Jalen Carter crashed through the center, delivering a massive hit on Wentz as he released the ball. This is Carter’s classic club move, and it feels almost unstoppable when he gets it right. Hunt, using his safety background, read the route, stepped in front, and took it all the way. As Baun was the only off-ball linebacker, when he blitzed, Wentz incorrectly assumed the middle of the field was free. Carter’s pressure was the key, but the design and execution were perfect. It’s also a fantastic catch by Hunt, and I’m not sure many EDGE defenders could make this play. It’s one of the best examples all season of Fangio’s simulated pressure.
The second interception wasn’t as pretty, but it was still the result of good structure and discipline. Moro Ojomo’s interior pressure forced Wentz off his spot, and with Jefferson bracketed by Quinyon Mitchell and Mukuba, Wentz made a terrible decision trying to throw behind the safety. Mukuba read it beautifully and dropped into the window for an easy interception. This is classic Wentz. The Eagles played a lot of bracket coverages over Jefferson, and they worked well. One of the great things about Fangio’s two-high structure is that it makes it easy to bracket elite receivers, without doing a lot differently pre-snap.
Zack Baun quietly had another excellent game. He’s been the most consistent defender (along with DeJean) this season. This play was a perfect example. He diagnosed the run instantly and made the tackle for a short gain. His ability to play the run, rush, and cover makes him invaluable to Fangio’s system.
Here’s another coverage mistake. DeJean passed off the motion receiver, but no one picked him up, leaving two defenders covering three receivers. Fortunately, Baun’s pressure forced Wentz to check it down, but it could easily have been another explosive. These busts keep happening once or twice a game. Sadly, Mukuba also missed another tackle here, and it turned a routine stop into a big gain. Mukuba’s tackling technique has always been questionable, and it’s showing up too often.
Cooper DeJean’s end-zone play on Jefferson was special. Jefferson tried to win with excellent late hands, but DeJean stayed patient, stayed in phase, and then played through the hands of Jefferson to knock the ball out. It’s a perfect example of his football IQ and competitiveness. He’s been awesome.
This next rep showed the defense at its absolute best, when all parts are working together. Mitchell blanketed Jefferson underneath, knowing he had safety help over the top. The Eagles bracketed Addison on the opposite side. Baun erased Hockenson in coverage. Ojomo collapsed the pocket with a strong inside move, and Joshua Uche spied Wentz before triggering and forcing an incompletion. That’s textbook Fangio defense.
It was fantastic seeing Nakobe Dean back. His range and explosiveness give the defense a different energy against the run. On this rep, Jalen Carter slanted inside and took out three Vikings’ linemen, opening a huge lane for Dean to shoot through and make a big tackle for loss. Using Dean in base downs, especially behind heavy fronts, is smart as he’s best when he can play fast and downhill. He’s not a great coverage linebacker, but against the run, he’s instinctive and fearless.
Ojomo’s sack late in the game was excellent and probably his best individual rush of the season. He beat the center cleanly with a violent club move, crossed his face, and hit Wentz before he could escape. I think this was his most disruptive performance of the year.
The defense finished strong, especially in the red zone. Mukuba, who’d had an up-and-down day, had a good rep against Jefferson here. He had another inconsistent game, but was better than last week and definitely showed some progress!
The final sack, from Joshua Uche, sealed it. Fangio dialed up a 5-man front, but dropped Campbell into coverage, and ran a stunt inside. Davis picked the guard, Carter collapsed the pocket, and Uche won with a vicious bull rush on the right tackle. It was one of the few pure power rush wins the team has had in weeks. The Vikings’ offensive line isn’t very good, but this is still excellent to see nonetheless!
Overall
The defense is still inconsistent on a per-play basis, but the ability to create turnovers and make game-changing plays is excellent to see. I thought the run defense was much improved, and the pass rush looked better thanks to Carter’s return and some key moments by Ojomo and Uche. The communication in the secondary is still a concern, but I expect that to improve over time.
This wasn’t a perfect defensive performance, but it was a resilient one and ultimately, they did enough to win.
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