Why Eagles Must Run Defense In Week 2
The Philadelphia Eagles offense lived up to the hype in a 38-35 Week 1 win over the Detroit Lions. The defense did not.
While A.J. Brown was busy showing the NFL that the Eagles made a brilliant move trading for the receiver, the defense was busy giving up 35 points to the Jared Goff-led Lions offense.
The Eagles’ secondary really wasn’t to blame. Goff was held to 215 yards through the air, and James Bradberry housed an interception from 27 yards out.
The run defense was concerning, though. D’Andre Swift spearheaded the rushing attack with 144 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown, while Jamaal Williams added another two touchdowns on the ground.
Team leader and veteran defensive end Brandon Graham acknowledged that while a win is a win, these are the types of weaknesses that will ultimately cost them if they don’t clean it up:
“We left some plays out there. When we were up, we should have kept the 17-point lead. But when you mess stuff up and you’re not on your details, that’s when stuff starts slipping away. We have to make sure we clean up running the ball because 150-something yards is not acceptable.”
There were two factors at play here. You have to tip your hat to the Lions’ offensive line. It came into the season as the third-ranked unit by PFF and lived up to that billing.
Swift also deserves credit. He broke six tackles, per PFF, on his way to a big day.
However, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon certainly didn’t call the best game or put his team in a position to succeed against Detroit’s strengths.
According to Next Gen Stats, Swift saw the second-lowest percentage of eight-man boxes. Only 6.7 percent of his carries came against loaded fronts.
While Brown was the offense’s biggest acquisition, it was the defense that got most of the love this offseason. The Eagles brought in Bradberry, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Kyzir White and Haason Reddick as notable free-agent or trade additions.
They used a first- and third-round selection on Georgia defenders Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean, respectively. Their usage on Sunday was curious as well.
Davis, in particular, could have helped the Eagles’ run-stopping woes. Shane Haff of Chalk Talk noted they held the Lions to 2.9 yards per carry when the 6’6″, 341-pound defensive tackle was in and conceded 10 yards per carry when he was off the field.
The 22-year-old only played on 22 defensive snaps (32 percent), but 6’2″, 307-pound Marlon Tuipulotu saw more action in the game as Gannon relied on a heavy rotation and a variety of defensive fronts.
The defensive coordinator is going to have to find answers and do it quickly. The slate isn’t getting any easier with a Monday Night Football matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on tap.
Their running game looked strong going against a talented Green Bay Packers front in Week 1. Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison combined to rush for 126 yards on 28 carries at 4.5 yards per attempt.
However, they’ll also have to do that while facing the threat of a much scarier passing game than the Lions’. Justin Jefferson showed he’s picking up right where he left off last season with nine catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener.
The Eagles can’t afford to throw all of their resources at the problem of stopping the run. It’s going to take a concerted effort from the defense and a better game plan to get things back on track.
The Philly offense proved it can help the team reach the hype this offseason brought. The defense just has to keep from getting run over.
Zach Berman
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