Despite its disappointing finish, a rose grew from the concrete after the curtain drew on the Philadelphia Eagles' latest collapse, even if everyone was too irritated or distracted by another maddening performance to notice. Lost in a vanishing ten-point advantage and a second consecutive second-half shutout was the consistent effort of a young defender with a familiar name.
Yes, questions about offensive futility and a worn-down defense consumed the conversation, but Jeremiah Trotter Jr.'s performance deserved equal attention. Few Eagles shined brighter.
Trotter's gutsy effort became one of the most encouraging individual performances Philadelphia has seen this season. Forced into an expanded role due to Zack Baun's absence (concussion), Jeremiah
Trotter Jr. responded with perhaps the best game of his professional career. He played every defensive snapand led the Eagles in solo (ten) and total tackles (15), and according to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, may have done enough to warrant a larger role moving forward.
Vic Fangio briefly praises Jeremiah Trotter Jr.'s performance.
With the players off the field, coaches review game film. Coach Fangio spoke with the media on Tuesday. He didn't hesitate or mince words when asked about Trotter's afternoon.
"Yeah, he played very well. Did a good job."
Yes, that was brief. That's sometimes the case with Coach Fangio. Sometimes, he says a lot with very few words, so the next question was offered to pull more out of him and get his engine revved up. Did Trotter's performance warrant more playing time?
"Possibly, yeah."
Two words... That's it, but don't rule it insignificant. Even in the smallest statements, Coach can often tell us more than any word salad could. Three sentences may represent one of the more interesting developments to emerge from Tuesday's press conference.
Jeremiah Trotter made the most of his opportunity.
Trotter entered Week 4 carrying a much larger workload than usual. Rather than looking overwhelmed, he appeared comfortable directing traffic and finding the football.
His 15 tackles are one of those stats that leap from a page. He consistently showed up around the ball against both the run and pass. While there were still some expected growing pains in coverage (Pro Football Focus credited him with allowing 49 yards on seven receptions), the overall performance was difficult to ignore.
Trotter brought stability to a defense that was dealing with injuries throughout the afternoon. With Quinyon Mitchell leaving the game and several other defenders battling through ailments, Philadelphia needed someone to step forward. Trotter answered the call.
An interesting decision awaits
The Eagles aren't likely to overhaul their linebacker rotation after one game. Baun remains one of the defense's most important players, and Fangio has repeatedly expressed confidence in Jihaad Campbell's development during the same conversation.
Still, Fangio's comments suggest Trotter has entered the conversation for additional snaps. Philadelphia has spent much of the season searching for answers. On Sunday, Trotter may have provided one.
Whether that translates into a larger role against theJacksonville Jaguars remains to be seen, but Fangio's remarks made one thing clear: the coaching staff noticed what everyone else saw. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. made the most of his opportunity, and the Eagles' top defensive assistant may find it increasingly difficult to ignore him on game days.
The Eagles have already shown a willingness to get their best defenders on the field. Cooper DeJean's increased role is evidence of that. Finding additional snaps for a third linebacker may be more complicated, but if Trotter keeps playing at the level he showed against the Rams, Fangio and the coaching staff may have no choice but to explore it.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. may have earned a larger role with the Eagles
