Eagles Sticking With CB2 'For Now'

Veteran cornerback Adoree’ Jackson’s debut as an Eagles starter wasn’t without its hiccups, so it came as no surprise that Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was asked if Jackson was in line to start Week 2 at Kansas City.

“Right now? Yes,” Fangio said.

The answer was part definitive and yet somehow open-ended, further muddied by a Monday workout of veteran slot cornerback Mike Hilton. 

At just under 5-foot-9, Hilton has been an inside player most of his career and is unlikely to help outside the numbers, so those playing the speculation game saw the path for second-year star Cooper DeJean to move outside with Hilton handling the slot work. 

Fangio shot that down as well, however.

“Preferably, we want to keep him at nickel,” Fangio said of DeJean.

So “right now” means Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes and Co. 

During the 24-20 season-opening win over Dallas, Jackson, 29, allowed 5 catches while being targeted 7 times for 103 yards, according to  Pro Football Focus. The veteran CB was graded by PFF as the worst player on the Eagles' defense who played 10 or more snaps

When Jackson was covering star WR CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott pounced, connecting with  Lamb for three receptions for 72 yards. Prescott's passer rating when targeting Jackson was 113.7.

The CliffsNotes to all of that is that Jackson has to play better.

A Master Technician

“He has to make sure he's a master technician and not let his technique falter,” Fangio said of Jackson. “[The Cowboys]  have good receivers, and if you don't go about your job the right way from a technique standpoint, those good receivers become impossible to cover.”

Jackson did have to exit briefly while being checked for a possible concussion, resulting in 7 snaps for the next man up, August trade pickup Jakorian Bennett.