Eagles’ Sack Party to Spark an Electric Defense Going Forward
If there is one thing that we know about the Philadelphia Eagles, it is that they know how to bounce back. After the team fell to 1-2 and faced criticism for the lack of pass rush early in the season, the Eagles responded with ten sacks vs. the New York Jets.
The Eagles front four has been taking blows in 2019, dating all the way back to the beginning of the offseason. Losing key depth pieces in Michael Bennett and Chris Long makes this Eagles line look much different so far. In the 2019 NFL Draft, it was expected that the Eagles would add a pass rusher early in the draft, but only walked away with Penn State product Shareef Miller.
Since then, Joe Ostman, Malik Jackson, and Tim Jernigan have suffered significant injuries. Between those losses and Fletcher Cox still not at full potential, the Eagles defensive line recorded just 3 sacks in the first four weeks of the season.
After facing much criticism for the lack of performance, the defensive line recorded eight sacks from Brandon Graham (3), Josh Sweat, Derek Barnett, Hassan Ridgeway, Daeshon Hall, and Vinny Curry. The numbers did not stop there as Orlando Scandrick recorded two sacks, one being a strip-sack, in his Eagles debut.
In yet another season that has taken many players to injury, especially on the defensive side of the ball, the big win over the Jets was important for the Eagles to gain momentum going into this tough stretch on the season. It is safe to say that the Eagles defense as a whole gained the momentum that they needed. Players like Brandon Graham, Rodney McLeod, and Orlando Scandrick have stepped up greatly as of recently and their continued success would pull this defense into their full potential.
When the Eagles go on the road for three straight games against successful offenses, the defense needs to come to play. Early in the season, opposing quarterbacks feasted on the defense due to the lack of pass rush and poor coverage from the secondary.
Now as they flipped the switch against the Jets, the Eagles are in a prime position to take on these tough matchups.
Featured Image: Matt Rourke, AP
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.