Typically, when speaking with casual NFL viewers, low-scoring games are seen as being 'boring'. Philadelphia Eagles fans will disagree with that sentiment. Offense is cool and all. We all know teams can't win if they don't score, but great defense births city-wide satisfaction.
Sure, we remember the final score of Philly's first Super Bowl win (41-33). That's one of the exceptions to the rule though. Finals scores in the City of Brotherly Love aren't remembered as often as the amount of times that guys get knocked out.
Blame Buddy Ryan and the Body Bag Game. Blame the late, great Jim Johnson and Bud Carson. They are the reason we are like this.
In 2022, Philly racked up 70 sacks. That's the second-highest single-season total by any team in NFL history. The 1984 Chicago Bears tallied a staggering 72 quarterback takedowns.
Jonathan Gannon led the 2022 Birds defense. He modeled his scheme after one created by Vic Fangio. During the 2024 NFL offseason, Philly hired the architect.
Vic Fangio's scheme has brought a defensive renaissance in Philadelphia, and every unit of his defense deserves a passing grade as a result.
Philadelphia finished the 2024-25 NFL regular season with 41 sacks. That's 22 sacks fewer than the NFL-leading Denver Broncos.
The Eagles picked off 13 passes, fewer than one per game and 11 fewer than the league-leading Minnesota Vikings. Philly excelled, however, in forcing fumbles and falling on top of them.
22 forced fumbles led the league. Their 13 recoveries tie them for a fourth-place finish in that category with the Chicago Bears.
There were rough spots and growing pains. None were worse than a shellacking this team took from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the fourth-quarter collapse in Week 16 vs. the Washington Commanders.
There was more good than bad though. Each unit improved under Fangio's watch. Each earned passing grades. How about a nice hand for each level of the Eagles' defense?
The Defensive Line - A+
The Philadelphia Eagles allowed 1,771 yards rushing this season. That lands them tenth among pro football's 32 teams.
Edge Rushers - B+
These days, edge rushers are members of their own position. They are linebackers who don't necessarily play a traditional linebacker's role. They are defensive ends we ask to occassionally drop into coverage.
For the sake of argument, let's add some names here: Jalyx Hunt, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, Josh Sweat, and Bryce Huff.
B.G. got hurt in what was supposed to be his swan song and missed the final six regular-season games. He notched four sacks and 20 total pressures and a forced fumble on 169 pass rush snaps during Philly's first 11 games.
Huff didn't measure up to the contract he signed during the offseason. That helps bring the grade down here, but credit Hunt, Smith, and Sweat for some nice moments.
According to Pro Football Focus, the latter three combined for 17 sacks, 95 pressures, and two forced fumbles on 810 pass-rushing snaps combined (408 are credited to Sweat). We'll see what happens with Josh during the offseason, but if he leaves, he won't be as easy to replace as some might believe.
The Linebackers - A
That warm and fuzzy feeling in your chest comes from the satisfaction that the Eagles have taken the linebacker position seriously, and that has paid off. Look how easy it is when the defense's second level is competent and confident.
The surprise here is Zack Baun. We knew he could play, but we didn't know he could be this good! We though he might serve as a luxury piece, a role player. He played his way into a Pro Bowl nomination and is deserving of an All-Pro nod.
Nakobe Dean handled play-calling duties and has come into his own. The future is secure with Jeremiah Trotter Jr. on the roster. His first start of the season (Week 18) led to him posting the second-highest tackle total. He can stand to get stronger, but there is a lot of talent there.
Like father, like son we guess...
Cornerbacks - A+
The Eagles' secondary allowed a mere 2,961 yards through the air and 174.2 yards passing per contest. That ranks first in the NFL in both categories.
There's a lot that goes into that. Slay, Isaiah Rodgers, and Kelee Ringo all played well, but credit must be given to a secondary that started two rookie cornerbacks.
Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell combined for 1,580 total snaps, 1,027 in coverage. They allowed a combined 90 receptions when targeted and broke up 14 combined passes. They allowed passer ratings of 82.2 (DeJean) and 87 (Mitchell) when targeted according to PFF.
In addition to what they did in coverage, both are great tacklers combining for 97 total tackles during the season.
Safeties - B+
C.J. Gardner-Johnson came home, wore the Number 8 jersey in honor of Kobe Bryant, and picked up where he left off snagging six interceptions including a pick-six to get the scoring started in Week 17 vs. the Dallas Cowboys.
Reed Blankenship added four more interceptions. Second-year Eagle Sydney Brown. Collectively, along with teammate Tristin McCollum, they broke up 22 passes, recorded 177 total tackles, and forced two fumbles.
None of these guys can cover. That's why we give them an above-average grade but not an 'A'. That's also probably why they play safety instead of cornerback.
Make no mistake about it though. They all bring punch and something unique to the Eagles' defense. This team doesn't win 14 games without their contribution.