Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon may not deserve all the criticism

The Eagles lead the NFL in interceptions.

There’s an old saying in the NFL. The pass rush and pass coverage work hand in hand. We’ve all watched enough football to know that one doesn’t work well without the other. Sure, we’ve all asked that J.G. send extra guys at one time or another when the front four (or front five) isn’t getting the job done, but what’s the alternative? Do we want to put more pressure on the secondary? That isn’t going to work out as well as you think.

Remember Week 2 of the 2019 season? Jim Schwartz sent the house at Matt Ryan late in the fourth quarter. How did that work out? Raise your hand if you remember Julio Jones taking on the distance on a screen pass.

Understand something. If the Eagles aren’t taking their current approach, they also aren’t leading the NFL in interceptions, which they do. Philadelphia’s 15 interceptions have them alone atop the NFL in that category. The Pittsburgh Steelers rank second with 14, and the Buffalo Bills are third with 13.

Philly is also ranked third in total pass breakups with 66. The Minnesota Vikings (70) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (68), and Pittsburgh Steelers (61) are the teams that they are trailing.

That’s all been said to say this. If the Eagles increase the frequency with which they blitz, the interceptions and pass breakups will come less frequently. Think about it. No one wants to see that happen.