Cooper DeJean's Week 1 performance wasn't exactly what the Philadelphia Eagles wanted from their starting slot cornerback. By the looks of things, their defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, isn't interested in making that into something bigger than it was.
DeJean was involved in a few difficult moments during the Eagles' 24-22 victory over the Washington Commanders. That included an illegal-contact penalty and a fourth-quarter touchdown in which Stefon Diggs got behind him. Philadelphia is preparing for its Week 2 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. DeJean's performance will naturally become something worth monitoring.
Fangio, however, offered a much different perspective when asked about the coverage issues.He spoke with the media on Tuesdayand
didn't reveal anything to suggest that he's overly concerned about his All-Pro.
Vic Fangio sees a correctable mistake, not a major problem
Fangio initially acknowledged that DeJean's eyes can occasionally work against him when he's trying to process too much information. This statement from the always-entertaining DC was certainly fascinating.
“I think it can happen at times, and at times it’s helped him, too. He’s just got to make sure he can stay tight enough to his assignment and not let his vision get too skewed to where he gets out of position.”
That sounds like an area for improvement, but Fangio's follow-up was far more dismissive of the notion that DeJean had a major problem in coverage. Later during the discussion, when Fangio was asked about the specific fourth-quarter play involving Diggs, Fangio essentially chalked it up to the receiver winning the route.
“No (his answer when asked if he saw some deficiency in the film review)... The one time that you’re probably alluding to, he had a tough route to cover in the defense we were in and the guy beat him. There’s nothing more than that. A little bit of that [put DeJean at a disadvantage.]”
Coach Fangio also shared that DeJean 'got dinged' during the contest. Those are important distinctions to make.
The Eagles aren't going to pretend that DeJean was perfect against theCommanders. Fangio has already identified something the young cornerback needs to clean up, particularly keeping his eyes disciplined within the defense. Still, there's a difference between acknowledging a mistake and believing the player has suddenly become a liability.
Fangio's comments suggest the Eagles fall firmly into the former category. DeJean remains an important piece of Philadelphia's secondary, especially since the Eagles rely on him to handle difficult assignments from the slot. One loss on a tough route isn't enough for Fangio to abandon that trust.
If anything, the defensive coordinator's comments reveal something else: The Eagles expect DeJean to learn from the rep without allowing one play to define his performance. That's probably the right approach for a player entering his second season who is still learning exactly how Fangio wants him to play the position.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Vic Fangio explains Cooper DeJean’s coverage issues in Week 1
