While the offense has commanded the attention of every Philadelphia Eagles fan, it has been wildly inconsistent; nobody has been paying attention to the insane season the pass defense is having under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
NBC Philadelphia's Reuben Frank dove into how insane the pass defense's numbers have been this season for the NFC East champions. Here is what Frank came up with in his article:
- The Eagles are allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete just 55.9 percent of their passes. The league average is 64.3 percent.
- The Eagles are allowing opposing quarterbacks a passer rating of just 74.5. The league average is 91.6.
- The Eagles are allowing 192 passing yards per game. The league average is 213.
- The Eagles have allowed 13 passing touchdowns. The league average is 23.
- This is the first time since 2001 the Eagles have allowed a completion percentage lower than 56 percent and 13 or fewer passing TDs through 15 games and just the third time since 1981.
How do these numbers compare to what the Eagles have done in the past?
Frank added more to the stats with the 55.9% completion percentage being on pace for the lowest the NFL has seen since 2016. Philly held the last four opponents to a passer rating below 56, which is the longest streak in 72 years. In the previous six games, quarterbacks facing the Eagles have completed just 50.8% of their passes, the best stretch for the Eagles in 17 years.
Oh, the numbers Frank pulled are not done as the Eagles allowed just six touchdown passes in nine games, that's the Eagles' fewest in a nine-game stretch in 25 years. Philly held seven teams in a nine-game stretch to a passer rating below 70, the first time that's happened in 30 years.
Honestly, the list of stats that have made this pass defense so good is so long that it's a recommended read for Eagles fans who are nerds for stats. Frank does a great job of dropping so many nuggets in the article.
Fangio has done such a great job constructing this pass defense, and the secondary, led by Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who both could be in conversations for All-Pro honors. Reed Blankenship has done a fine job of bouncing back from a rough start to the season to be playing well. Even Adoree' Jackson has been playing at an elite level over the last three games.
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This defensive unit is special on the back end and could well much be contenders for the Super Bowl because of what the secondary is doing.