Eagles Hope Linebackers Lead the Way on Defense

The combo of Ernie Sims and Stewart Bradley received a lot of attention at camp.

Make no mistake, the Eagles linebackers this year are far better than last season.  The trio is probably as good as Philadelphia has had since Jeremiah Trotter was in his prime.  Perhaps most importantly, all three – Stewart Bradley, Ernie Sims and Akeem Jordan – can play every snap.

“Big.  It really is big.  And this gets back to us being healthy, for the most part, right now,” said defensive coordinator Sean McDermott.  “We got banged up in a game the other night.  But, for the most part, we’re healthy.”

That means McDermott can capitalize on the versatility of a unit that doesn’t really have a specialist against the run or pass.  “They look like they’re building that chemistry from being out on the field together, which is important.  There seems to be balance both in the run and the pass game,” McDermott said.

Overall the Eagles run defense, statistically, wasn’t bad last year – it ranked in the top third of the league.  However, look no farther than the last two games of the season, a pair of drubbings at the hands of the Cowboys, to see why the Eagles need a better performance against the run this year.

Dallas ran 67 times in those two games for a total of 377 yards, or 5.6 per carry.  It’s nearly impossible to win when allowing that kind of yardage on the ground, which also leads to lopsided time of possession.  The Cowboys held the ball for 79:57 in the two games, compared to the Eagles’ 40:03.

But this season, the Eagles hope their defense is bolstered against run-heavy offenses.  McDermott wants the interior to set the tone. “Well, you would hope so.  The core of your defense and the strength down the middle of your defense needs to be just that,” he said.

In Stewart Bradley, Ernie Sims and Akeem Jordan the Birds hope they’ve found what they were looking for at linebacker.  “They’re young and they’re fast,” said McDermott.  “They’re very tough, which I like in our linebackers and our overall defense.”

They’ll need to be all of those things and more, given the first team on the regular season schedule.  McDermott’s already aware of what Green Bay is capable of. “We’re keeping an eye on them,” he said. “Keeping an eye on all 59 points the other night.”