NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Stop the presses, the Philadelphia Eagles have a run defense. In two games so far in this early season, the Eagles have not allowed a team to rush over 100 yards. Hell, they haven’t allowed 80 yards, yet. Despite the earliness of the season, this is something to rejoice over.
Now, the argument can be made that they haven’t faced an elite running team yet. That’s a true statement but holding a team under 80 yards a game in the NFL is no small feat.
Against the New England Patriots, the Eagles run defense allowed 76 yards on 22 carries. They held Rhamondre Stevenson to just 25 yards on 12 carries and former rival and Eagles thrasher Ezekiel Elliott to 29 yards on 7 carries. And against the Minnesota Vikings, they held their back to 28 yards on 9 carries. No matter how you spin it, this is a win for the Eagles’ run defense.
Last season, they ranked 16th in rushing yards allowed. Maybe it’s the changing of Defensive Coordinators or the players getting tired of being bullied at the line of scrimmage. But whatever it is, it’s working. Now, they have to fix that awful pass defense which a season ago was one of their strengths. With all the offseason talk surrounding who they lost, especially at the LB position, those replacement players have proven to be better in terms of stopping the run than their predecessors.
Up next, the Philadelphia Eagles will face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team struggling to find their footing on the ground. With Baker Mayfield having sort of a resurgence in the passing attack, the Eagles may find their 3rd straight game of keeping an opposing rushing offense under 80 yards.
How Good Is The Run Defense Of The Philadelphia Eagles
The heart of the Eagles’ defense still lies within their defensive line with the likes of Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, Josh Sweat, and others. The main question is, can they keep this production up all season? In a division where they will have to face Saquan Barkley, Brian Robinson Jr., and Tony Pollard, they must remain on their A-game especially if their pass defense continues to struggle.
Some will point the finger at former defensive coordinator, Jonathan Gannon, and rightfully so. However, this team so far has been exceptional in an area where they failed last season. Looking over their schedule, the Philadelphia Eagles will not face a Josh Jacobs-type runner this year. Their toughest challenge on the ground outside of the NFC East may come from Kenneth Walker ll of the Seattle Seahawks and Christian McCaffrey of the San Franciso 49ers.
All in all, this could be a good year for the Philadelphia Eagles’ run defense. But as we all know, it takes more than just one half of a defense to win a championship. This is the same team that gave Patrick Mahomes fits in the Super Bowl but forgot to bottle up Isiah Pacheco or Mahomes when he took off running. If they can play at a high level all season, and get their secondary, at least comparable to what it was last year, they have a chance to make another long playoff run.
