Eagles cornerback Rasul Douglas will be tested against Chiefs
From inactive to playing, Eagles rookie Rasul Douglas will be put to the test on Sunday.
It’s incredible how quickly things change in the NFL. Just last week, the Philadelphia Eagles had rookie cornerback Rasul Douglas listed as inactive. This week against the Kansas City Chiefs, the young defensive back may see some significant playing time. The Eagles were thin at cornerback already. Now with Ronald Darby out for at least four to six weeks, the bottom of the depth chart needs to step up and rise to the occasion.
Douglas looked good for the Eagles before the preseason began. The hype behind his name during the offseason made it seem like he was ready to be thrown into the fire that is the Eagles secondary. When it came to game day during the preseason, the noise behind his performances seemed to lessen. Now, as we head into week two of the regular season, Douglas is looking forward to being tested.
Ready to step up…
More from Inside the Iggles
- Eagles LB Nakobe Dean jokingly makes his pitch for an assistant GM role
- Eagles captains earn high praise on roster blending veteran leadership, youth
- How former Eagles star Cre’Von LeBlanc helped Renegades upstage Cowboys
- Eagles 2023 schedule: Every WR duo Darius Slay, James Bradberry will battle
- Imagining better names for Jason Kelce’s Good Guy Award
Douglas is unaware of his role for Sunday. He told reporters that he was ready to step in at any moment if he is called upon. Although that’s a good attitude for a rookie ready to prove his worth, he needs to keep his expectations in check.
His first real professional test couldn’t come at a more difficult time. The Eagles will be playing against arguably one of the hottest teams in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs just defeated the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Their quarterback, Alex Smith, lit up the Patriots secondary for 368 yards and four touchdowns, which catapulted him to the NFL’s leader in passing.
A total team effort:
Luckily for the Eagles secondary, the defensive line has proven to be one of the toughest pass rushing units in the league after one week of action. Clearly the defensive line can’t stop the Chiefs’ offense alone, but the pressure will definitley help the young cornerbacks in coverage.
Related Story: Eagles need efficiency in running game on Sunday
Douglas has proven to be a solid pass coverage conerback in college. In his senior season, he tied for the most interceptions in the nation with eight. He also collected 70 tackles and a sack. Those numbers look a lot different compared to his preseason stats with the Eagles. In four games, he only had five tackles and one pass deflection.
Next: Count Jason Peters in for Sunday
His preseason numbers arent too convincing, but after some time to adjust it’s likely that Douglas will fill in well for Ronald Darby. Not to mention, Douglas will have two proven veteran safeties in Rodney McLeod and Malcolm Jenkins behind him to help out as well. His role for Sunday may not be totally clear, but one thing is certain. Douglas is mentally ready.