Eagles secondary will be tested by Aaron Rodgers, Packers

The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-0 in the preseason and it’s a promising start for a team that made huge moves during the offseason. However, they’re up against their biggest threat in their upcoming week three game.

That threat is Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers offense.

The last two seasons saw the Eagles 32nd and 31st respectively in pass defense. There have been significant changes and there is confidence that the team’s problems might be solved. There are two new starting cornerbacks and a new starting safety. The secondary was on display during the Colts and Ravens games and as expected, the new-look defense impressed. Joe Flacco couldn’t get anything going with his usual unstoppable deep ball. They shut down Baltimore’s passing game and did the same with Andrew Luck and the Colts the previous week. The secondary has yet to allow any touchdowns from the first-team this preseason.

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Things could change once the Eagles take on Aaron Rodgers this Saturday night.

The Eagles secondary is going to face their biggest challenge against the Packers offense and there is good reason to see this as a huge test. Last season, the Eagles walked off the frozen field of Lambeau Field following a 53-20 loss. It was a game many Eagles don’t want to remember and for good reason. Their offense struggled to stay on the field and the defense couldn’t find a way to stop Rodgers. This third preseason game, while still the preseason, is usually referred to as a “dress rehearsal” for what a Week 1 lineup might look like once the regular season starts. One of the biggest match-ups that the Eagles secondary will face is against the Packers quarterback himself.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Eagles Secondary

There is no doubt going to be a huge deal made of how the Eagles secondary handles Aaron Rodgers. Arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the league, he made easy work during his last meeting with the Eagles. In their game against Green Bay last year, the defense wasn’t able to stop wide receiver Jordy Nelson from having four catches for 104 yards, including a 64-yard lob from Rodgers. The secondary wasn’t able to stop big plays in the past and that has lead to some of their losses. Things have changed and the Eagles are ready to right their wrongs.

The Eagles not only overhauled the talent in their secondary but new defensive backs coach Cory Undlin joined the team with the goal of cutting down on the number of big plays allowed by the defense. They battled the ball well downfield against the Ravens last week with Walter Thurmond catching a deflected pass by Nolan Carroll for an interception. Byron Maxwell contributed to slowing down Andrew Luck and the Colts but facing a stronger offense like Green Bay will prove to be more of a challenge due to the man under center.

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Having Aaron Rodgers running the show for the Packers will be a good test of how well the Eagles secondary has changed. Starters will see more playing time in the third game of the preseason and the Eagles are hoping that it means having a lot of playing time against Rodgers. The Green Bay offense has a lot of talent around their quarterback. Even with the obvious absence of Jordy Nelson, Rodgers still has plenty of weapons to work with like Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Eddie Lacy, rookie Ty Montgomery, etc.

There will be some concerns about exactly how much time the Eagles will get against Rodgers. He’s already taken 47 snaps in Green Bay’s last two preseason games. It’s not a supremely high number but it might signal that Rodgers might only see playing time until halftime or so. Coupled with the Packers’ slew of injuries, he might not even last until the half. This might leave the Eagles with Green Bay’s fifth-round draft pick Brett Hundley, who doesn’t pose much of a threat.

It’ll come down to how much of Rodgers and his offense the Eagles see to accurately compare how far the secondary has advanced. It’ll be the best test the Eagles will have and more accurately, it will give the starters more time to show they have what it takes to become one of the best defenses in the NFL.

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