There hasn’t been much this season that the Philadelphia Eagles have struggled with. They are 11-1 after dismantling the Tennessee Titans this past weekend and have the inside track to earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC as they own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Minnesota Vikings as well.
But, if there was one area that could use some shorting up it was the interior of their defensive line. The Eagles have been susceptible in their run defense at times this season, especially after first-round pick Jordan Davis went down with a high ankle sprain in Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That game came in the middle of a five-game stretch in which the Eagles surrendered at least 124 rushing yards in every game. Philadelphia has given up 100+ yards on the ground seven times this season and is currently 17th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed. However, they have begun turning things around in recent weeks.
The Eagles have surrendered only 292 yards in the last three games combined since that five-game stretch. It is no coincidence that the improved stretch coincides with when the front office dipped into free agency to bring in some veteran help at defensive tackle.
First, it was Linval Joseph, who spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, to help offset the loss of Davis. They weren’t done there as they also signed veteran defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
Suh has spent the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was still very productive. He registered back-to-back 6.0 sack seasons, showing that he has something left in the tank to offer. Joining Philadelphia was also the right choice in his opinion.
Suh has seen his snaps increase each week he has been with the team. He played 45 percent of the snaps against the Titans, as he is becoming a regular part of the Eagles’ rotation along the defensive line as he brings a little something different to the front seven with his pass-rushing ability.
With Davis now back in the lineup, the Eagles are gearing up for what they hope is a lengthy postseason run. With veterans Joseph and Suh now in the mix, they have done a good job shoring up what was virtually their only weakness thus far this season.
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