Philadelphia Eagles Defense is the Key
By Jacob Brooks
Dec 29, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks (95) celebrates his interception with inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans (59) in the second quarter of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The fate of the 2014 Philadelphia Eagles season rests solely on the shoulders of the Defense. This Eagles Defense looks much improved and has seen consistent improvement since last season. The Eagles Coaching staff and Front Office noticed some missing key positions on the Eagles Defense and they upgraded those positions this off-season.
The Eagles Defense added some much needed depth along the Defensive Line, brought in veteran Cornerback Nolan Carroll to compete with Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher and brought in a veteran defensive leader, Safety Malcolm Jenkins. It is no secret that I believe Safety Malcolm Jenkins is a key player on the Eagles Defense, read my latest article “Trust Chip: Eagles’ Jenkins is the Answer” to find out why.
Philadelphia boasts one of the better Offenses in the National Football League and in their 2nd year under Head Coach Chip Kelly, I believe they will take another step forward and continue to re-energize the Eagles fan base with superb Offensive showings. The Offense is not the problem.
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The Eagles Defense holds the key to success in 2014. While the Eagles Defensive unit started coming together late last season, they never fully turned the corner to become a formidable NFL Defense and certainly not the Eagles Defense that fans know and love. That all has started to change and with the key additions this off-season and a 2nd season under Coach Billy Davis, the Eagles Defense looks to be on the rise.
Coming off of 2 impressive weeks of pre-season play, the Eagles Defense is really starting to trust each other, you can see that in their play. During week 3 pre-season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Eagles Defense held Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a QB Rating of just 78.0, well below his career average.
All night Roethlisberger looked pressured, uncomfortable and eventually he “broke,” throwing an interception. Malcolm Jenkins was great in man-to-man coverage as usual and showed again why he was the right choice to help this Eagles Defense. Philadelphia also held the Runningback duo of Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrett Blount to a combined 58 yards rushing.
Week 4 pre-season game against the New York Jets saw much of the same from the Philly Defense. More pressure, stout run defense and a more confident secondary group. Defense is mental and I believe that for a long time the Eagles Defense lacked trust in each other and needed a confidence booster. Nothing is more dangerous than a young and confident Defensive unit and that is exactly what the Philadelphia Eagles have.
The 2014 pre-season presented the Eagles Defense a chance to spark a revitalized Defensive unit that could carry the team deep this season. A top notch Offense with a Defense that is already brimming with confidence has the makings for a great season. The 2014 NFL season starts today, the Eagles play Sunday so break out your Midnight Green and get ready for a great season.
Remember Fly Eagles Fly!