Eagles' Upside Is About Getting Defensive

Despite the proclamations of Jeffrey Lurie,  the Eagles looked nothing like a Super Bowl defense over the large sample size of 13 games entering Sunday’s 31-0 win over the moribund 2-12 Las Vegas Raiders.

Using conventional numbers, Vic Fangio’s unit came into Sunday's game at No. 24 in the NFL, equally adept at stopping the run and the pass at 22nd overall. Third-down defense was No. 24 overall.

For comparison's sake, the listless Raiders were eight spots higher at No. 16 overall.

However, if you peel back the onion, things look better for the Eagles. 

The advanced numbers on defense have been more favorable because the Eagles' stop unit has been better in high-leverage situations, like fourth-down defense (No. 2) and red-zone efficacy (No. 4). That has fueled a top-10 ranking in points per game allowed at 20.8.

Sunday, things were amped up against a backup quarterback in Kenny Pickett and a soon-to-be one-and-done head coach in Pete Carroll with the organization’s first shutout since 2018 and an almost unthinkable 75 yards allowed.

You only have to go back 70 years to find an Eagles’ defense that accomplished that kind of standard when the Jim Trimble-led Birds allowed 49 yards against the then-Chicago Cardinals in 1955.

“It was just great team defense by the entire crew,” said head coach Nick Sirianni. “Vic did a great job and coaches did a good job of preparing them and putting them in positions to succeed, and our guys did a good job of executing.”

The embattled Carroll was more open about the beatdown.

"I don’t think it’s some big psych change that took place. I think we just got whipped by a really loaded football team that, on this day, had their way,” Carroll explained.

The modern Eagles are now a win (or a Cowboys loss) away from a second consecutive NFC East crown and their fifth straight postseason appearance.

Sneaky Good