The Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive performance against the Denver Broncos was complicated. Statistically, this was one of the Eagles’ weakest defensive outings by success rate since Vic Fangio took over. However, the Eagles were on the field for 70 plays and got worn down, giving up just 36 rushing yards on 10 carries in the first half (3.6 YPC) but 94 yards on 19 carries (4.9 YPC) after halftime.
As expected, Sean Payton’s offense was well-coached, full of variety, and a lot of answers. He attacked
the soft spots in Fangio’s structures, and it became a frustrating day. Let’s get into why.
Defense
The run defense actually started strong. Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, and Jalyx Hunt all had great early reps. As I mentioned above, the Eagles held the Broncos to 3.6 YPC in the first half. Ojomo, in particular, fought through a double team here, which was impressive. But that intensity faded the longer the defense stayed on the field. The Broncos doubled the Eagles’ time of possession in the second half, and conditioning clearly became a factor. I think the Eagles have an issue with depth at defensive tackle, but we will address that later…
Jalen Carter’s performance summed up his season so far. It’s very up and down. He flashed more early on but faded late under a heavy workload. He ended up playing 67 snaps, which is too much for a defensive tackle, especially when they are struggling with an injury. His explosiveness showed when he split the double team here and made an athletic tackle, but he’s not the dominant force he was last year. The Eagles’ defense is not the same without him dominating. However, Carter’s reputation still helps this defense, drawing protection and freeing others, but his individual production has tailed off. Fangio’s overreliance on him is a problem. We might need another interior defender unless they trust Ty Robinson to contribute.
This next clip showed one of Fangio’s best pressure designs of the game. I’m still annoyed they overturned this. Cooper DeJean was used as a blitzer from depth (is there anything this guy can’t do?!), and it was timed perfectly. This is a great pass rush from someone I haven’t seen get after the quarterback many times. DeJean continues to look like one of the best players on the defense. He was strong in the run game, physical, and even a creative weapon in pressure packages in this game. Fangio used this exact look a few times, where he dropped an edge and sent a defensive back as the fourth rusher.
Kelee Ringo’s day was the full experience. He had snaps that made you want to keep investing in him, where he was physical, competitive, and willing as a tackler. I can’t help but be impressed by the athletic profile. However, he had other snaps that make you think that this might just not work out. He opened his hips too early on several routes, giving receivers free breaks on comebacks, such as the one below. For a 4.36 athlete, he doesn’t need to provide that much cushion. However, the raw traits remain intriguing. While the technique lapses are frustrating, the long-term benefits remain real. I would stick with him on Thursday night.
Depth at defensive tackle is becoming a serious concern. Fangio doesn’t seem to trust rookie Ty Robinson (just one snap), and Byron Young looked overmatched. On this rep, Young was bullied at the point of attack, widening his gap and giving up a big run. He ends up on the ground too much. With the top three (Carter, Davis, Ojomo) all playing over 60 snaps, fatigue inevitably set in late in the second half. The lack of a reliable DT4 could have been a reason why the run defense fell apart late. I think you have to consider it. Jordan Davis has looked a little less explosive each week, and he’s playing more than he’s used to.
Payton’s offensive design stood out again here. Many of you criticized me in the comments for praising his offense so much in the preview article (I know he’s an idiot, but he is a good coach), and he dialed up a perfect leak concept. This is specifically built to target one of Fangio’s favorite coverages (Cover 6 / Quarters-Quarter-Half). Imagine having an offense like this? The Eagles were lucky this wasn’t a touchdown. Zack Baun did just enough to slow the tight end when he realized what was coming, but the play design was beautiful. It’s the kind of design the Eagles’ own offense lacks. Payton consistently found ways to stress their rules, and eventually, he got the better of Vic Fangio’s defense.
This stunt sack was the defense at its best. This was a strength last week, and it continued to be so. Carter occupied two blockers perfectly, freeing Za’Darius Smith to come untouched for the finish. Smith may not be an every-down player anymore, but as a rotational rusher, he’s been a smart pickup. In coverage, Ringo did a much better job trusting his speed and staying square. This was one of Fangio’s best-called plays of the night and it was good to see Ringo learning from his earlier mistake.
Ringo continues to be a tough evaluation. He’s inconsistent snap to snap, but flashes tools worth betting on. On this play, he’s aggressive, physical, and in good phase throughout. He’s not afraid to tackle, and even though he missed one in the open field later, his aggressiveness is good to see. He’s still raw, but there’s something there. I’ve got no idea if he will end up as a solid starter, but I can’t quit on him, yet.
The four-man pass rush remains a problem. Bo Nix had clean pockets too often, and Fangio had to manufacture pressure. The Eagles rank 25th in QB hits on four-man rushes this year. That’s a problem for a defensive coordinator who wants to rush 4. Quinyon Mitchell had a mixed day. He was solid overall but lost too many “go up and get it” reps against Courtland Sutton late. Still, he had strong moments like this one, blanketing Sutton through the route. Life as a traveling corner isn’t easy. These kinds of games will happen. Sutton played really well.
Jihaad Campbell continues to grow as a run defender. He’s attacking downhill with more urgency and confidence every week. On this play, he slipped the block, squared up, and made a clean tackle in space. This is something he wasn’t doing in September. He’s learning how to play faster within structure rather than reacting late. I think the game is slowing down for him, and it’s starting to click.
This pressure was Fangio at his best. This is cool. He rotated Campbell to the line pre-snap, then dropped him off at the snap, while Baun came as a late rusher against the running back. The design fooled Denver’s protection, and Baun got home for the sack. It was also one of Josh Uche’s better reps of the year, collapsing the pocket from the other side. I should have mentioned Azeez Ojulari earlier (I forgot to record his impressive pass-rushing rep), but I was surprised by how well he played and how much he contributed. This makes me wonder if the Eagles could add a defensive tackle, rather than an EDGE rusher, if they make a splash in the trade market. Despite that, the Eagles’ edge rushers did not win many one-on-one pass rushes in this game. It feels like Fangio knows he can’t rely on a traditional four-man rush, so he’s scheming pressure through movement and confusion instead.
As the game progressed, the rush began to slow. The Broncos’ offense wore the Eagles down, and Nix grew more comfortable. By the fourth quarter, it felt like the Eagles had little left. Denver’s time of possession nearly doubled Philly’s, and conditioning seemed to play a role. The defense failed to get off the field on multiple long third downs.
Sometimes the other team just executes perfectly. Quinyon Mitchell was in excellent position here, but Nix threw a perfect back-shoulder ball to Courtland Sutton. Fangio’s structure was fine, the coverage was fine, but the throw-and-catch was elite. This is tough to stop. He had one of the best games of his career last week, but Courtland Sutton humbled him a little this week. He’s there physically but hasn’t yet mastered finishing through contact against bigger receivers.
This third-and-15 was annoying. Fangio rushed three, dropped eight, and gave Nix too long to throw. The Broncos hit a deep completion that never should have been allowed. Baun got too wide in coverage, Carter was doubled, and Mitchell slipped, turning a low-probability play into a huge play.
The two-point conversion summed up the day. Kelee Ringo, who’d battled all game, got beaten too easily to the outside despite having inside help. This is his worst rep. He has to force that throw inside or at least make it a contested catch. Instead, the Broncos got an easy score. It was an aggressive call from Payton and a disappointing defensive response from the Eagles.
Overall
This was one of the more frustrating defensive performances of the season. It wasn’t catastrophic, but it felt like a group that’s slipping from elite to merely good. The success rate (53.2%) was the sixth-worst since Fangio’s arrival, and the Broncos’ variety of runs and play designs exposed weaknesses. The pass rush lacks juice, with Fangio having to scheme pressure constantly, because the front can’t win naturally. If you compare the game plans this year to the Super Bowl last year, they are totally different.
Fangio’s structure still works, but the lack of depth and the predictable rush packages are catching up with them. For the first time in a while, it feels like the Eagles’ defense is finally missing some of the talent they lost in the offseason. Unless they get more success rushing the quarterback, this unit will continue to bend, and occasionally break, against well-coached offenses like Sean Payton’s.
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