Philadelphia Eagles talk: Staying loose, Jalen Mills discusses Tom Brady
In order to win their first Lombardi Trophy, the Philadelphia Eagles will need to conquer, perhaps, the best quarterback and coach duo in league history.
As of Sunday, January 28th, seven days remain before Super Bowl LII kicks off in Minneapolis Minnesota. For many of the players on the Philadelphia Eagles roster, cornerback Jalen Mills included, the reality of being in football’s biggest game simply ‘hasn’t set in yet’. According to many of the players, they expect that to happen when their plane touches down.
The Eagles leave Philadelphia for the first time in over a month on Sunday. Then, it’s six days of media, practice, and more media before the 52nd Super Bowl in league history is held on February 4th.
Don’t confuse ‘being loose’ for a ‘lack of focus’.
Jalen Mills has been everything you’d expect a second-year veteran to be. He’s been brilliant at times. He’s had a propensity to be taken advantage of at other times. Regardless of what’s happened, he’s learned from every scenario.
Related Story: Eagles can't fall into Super Bowl week trap
He may have been beaten by a double move a time or two, but his 68 total tackles (including the playoffs) and three interceptions during the regular season have proven something. It appears that all of the discussion that he had second-round talent when he came out in last year’s draft was warranted.
Here’s some of what he said in reference to containing one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
"You’ve got to cover the whole field. I mean, he’s going to attack every inch of grass on that field, regardless of where it is. He doesn’t have one single target that he just goes to over and over again. He’s passing the ball all around the field, so we sure have to cover the whole field."
Expect more answers like that as we move through media days in Minneapolis. No one’s tipping their hat as to what the scheme is, but make no mistake. This is an Eagles team that despite being calm, is as comfortable and as cool as possible.
Mills and the rest of the secondary will have their hands full versus the G.O.A.T. but they’re up to the task. This game can’t get here fast enough.