Potential Eagles scapegoats if things go haywire in 2022
. Aging veterans/Jonathan Gannon. . player. 54. .
If the Eagles’ defense struggles, expect the aging veterans to be blamed.
The Eagles added a lot of defensive players in the off-season who can create pressure and cause turnovers, but what happens if they fall short of doing that this season? If this defense struggles and gives up tons of yards and too many touchdowns, the blame, more than likely will fall on the veterans who are still present.
Two, in particular, are Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham. They are the easy targets because both are older. One has lost a step and seen a decrease in his production and performance. The other is coming off of an injury. If they don’t see success, the narratives will be about whether or not they’ve played their final season with their Birds (and maybe the final games of their careers).
Philadelphia boasted the second-worst sack total last season, so maybe Jonathan Gannon‘s game plan is to blame and not the players. Gannon’s defense wasn’t the most aggressive, but with the players that he’ll have at his disposal this year, that should change.
Philly has always been known for its aggressive style of play on the defensive side of the ball, and that made Gannon’s game plans hard to watch at times. He’s been labeled as a defensive genius, but the ruling is still out on whether or not he’s proven that’s the case.