The Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive performance against the Denver Broncos was complicated. Statistically, this was one of the Eagles’ weakest defensive outings by success rate since Vic Fangio took over. However, the Eagles were on the field for 70 plays and wore down, giving up only 36 rushing yards on 10 carries in the first half (3.6 YPC) but 94 yards on 19 carries (4.9 YPC) after halftime.
As expected, Sean Payton’s offense was well-coached, full of variety and plenty of answers. He attacked weak spots in Fangio’s structures, and it became a frustrating day. Let’s move on to why.
The run defense actually started strong. Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo and Jalyx Hunt all had big early reps. As I mentioned above, the Eagles held the Broncos to 3.6 YPC in the first half. Ojomo, in particular, fought off a double team here, which was impressive. But that intensity faded the longer the defense stayed on the field. The Broncos doubled the Eagles’ time of possession in the second half, and conditioning clearly became a factor. I think the Eagles have a problem with defensive tackle depth, but we’ll get into that later…
Jalen Carter’s performance summed up his season so far. It’s very up and down. He flashed early but faded late under a heavy workload. He ended up playing 67 snaps, which is too many for a defensive tackle, especially when dealing with injury. His explosiveness showed when he split the double team here and made an athletic tackle, but he’s not the dominant force he was last year. The Eagles defense isn’t the same without him to dominate. However, Carter’s reputation still helps this defense, attracting protection and release from others, but his individual production has been reduced. Fangio’s passing on him is a problem. We might need another interior defender unless they trust Ty Robinson to contribute.
This next clip showed one of Fangio’s best pressure designs in the game. I’m still annoyed they reversed that. Cooper Dejean was used as a blitzer from deep (is there anything this guy can’t do?!), and he was timed perfectly. This is a great pass rush from someone I haven’t seen by the quarterback many times. Dejean continues to look like one of the best players on defense. He was strong in the running game, physical and even a creative weapon in pressure packages in this game. Fangio used this exact look a few times, where he dropped an edge and returned a defense as the fourth rusher.
Kelee Ringo’s day was the complete experience. He had snaps that made you want to continue investing in him, where he was physical, competitive and willing as a tackle. I can’t help but be impressed by the athletic profile. However, he had other shots that make you think it just might not work. He opened his hips too early on several routes, giving receivers breaks on returns, like the one below. For a 4.36 athlete, it doesn’t need to provide as much cushion. However, the raw features remain intriguing. Although the technique is frustrating, the long-term benefits remain real. I will stay with him Thursday evening.
Depth at defensive forward is becoming a serious concern. Fangio doesn’t seem to trust rookie Ty Robinson (just a cliché), and Byron Young looked overmatched. On this rep, Young was bullied at the point of attack, widening his gap and giving up a big run. He ends up on the ground too much. With the front three (Carter, Davis, Ojomo) all playing over 60 snaps, fatigue inevitably set in late in the second half. The lack of a reliable DT4 could have been a reason why the run defense collapsed late. I think you need to consider it. Jordan Davis looks a little less explosive each week, and he’s playing more than usual.
Payton’s offensive design stands out again here. Many of you criticized me in the comments for praising his offense in the preview article (I know he’s an idiot, but he’s a good coach), and he put together a perfect escape concept. This is specifically constructed to target one of Fangio’s favorite coverages (cover 6/quarters-quarter-half). Imagine having an offense like this? The Eagles were lucky it wasn’t a touchdown. Zack Baun did just enough to slow down the tight end when he realized what was coming, but the play design was magnificent. That’s the kind of design the Eagles’ own offense lacks. Payton always found ways to emphasize their rules, and ultimately, he got the better of Vic Fangio’s defense.
This stunt sack was defense at its finest. He was a strength last week, and he continued to be. Carter manned two blockers perfectly, freeing Za’darius Smith to be intact for the finish. Smith may not be an all-around player anymore, but as a rotation he’s been a smart pickup. In coverage, Ringo did a much better job trusting his speed and staying square. This was one of Fangio’s best plays of the night and it was good to see Ringo learn from his previous mistake.
Ringo continues to be a tough assessment. It’s inconsistent to a flasher, but flashes tools worth betting on. On this play, he is aggressive, physical and in good phase throughout. He’s not afraid to tackle, and even though he missed one in the open field later, his aggression is good to see. It’s still raw, but there’s something there. I don’t know if he’ll end up as a solid starter, but I can’t quit on him yet.
The four-man pass rush remains a problem. Bo Nix had clean pockets too often and Fangio had to manufacture a pressure. The Eagles rank 25th in QB on Four-Man Rushes this year. This is a problem for a defensive coordinator who wants to rush 4. Quinyon Mitchell had a mixed day. He was solid overall but lost too many “up and get” reps to Courtland Sutton late. Still, he had highlights like this, covering Sutton through the route. Life as a travel corner is not easy. These types of plays will happen. Sutton played very well.
Jihaad Campbell continues to develop as a run defender. He attacks downhill with more urgency and confidence each week. On this play, he slid off the block, took the board and made a clean tackle in space. This is something he didn’t do in September. He learns to play faster in structure rather than reacting late. I think the game is slowing down for him, and he’s starting to click.
This pressure was Fangio at his best. It’s cool. He rotated Campbell to the pre-snap line, then dropped him off at the snap, while Baun came in as a late rusher against the running back. The design fooled Denver’s protection, and Baun went home for the sack. This was also one of Josh Uche’s best reps of the year, collapsing the pocket on the other side. I should have mentioned Azeez Ojulari earlier (forgot to record his impressive pass rush rep), but I was surprised by how he played and how much he contributed. This makes me wonder if the Eagles could add a defensive tackle, rather than an edge rusher, if they make a splash on the trade market. Despite this, the Eagles’ EAGLE rushers did not pick off many one-on-one passes in this game. It looks like Fangio knows he can’t rely on a traditional four-man rush, so he dials in pressure through movement and confusion instead.
As the game progressed, the rush began to slow down. The Broncos offense carried the Eagles and Nix became more comfortable. By the fourth quarter, it looked like the Eagles weren’t staying any longer. Denver’s time of possession nearly doubled Philly’s, and conditioning seemed to play a role. The defense failed to get down the field on several long thirds.
Sometimes the other team executes perfectly. Quinyon Mitchell was in great position here, but Nix threw a perfect back shoulder ball to Courtland Sutton. Fangio’s structure was fine, the coverage was fine, but the throwing and fielding was elite. It’s hard to stop. He had one of the best matches of his career last week, but Courtland Sutton humbled him a bit this week. He’s there physically but has yet to master finishing contact against bigger receivers.
That third-and-15 was boring. Fangio rushed three, dropped eight and gave Nix too long. The Broncos hit a deep completion that should never have been allowed. Baun went too wide in coverage, Carter was doubled and Mitchell slipped, turning a low-probability play into a huge play.
The two-point conversion summed up the day. Kelee Ringo, who had struggled all game, struggled too easily on the outside despite inside help. This is its worst representative. He needs to force that throw inside or at least make it a contested catch. Instead, the Broncos got an easy score. It was an aggressive call from Payton and a disappointing defensive response from the Eagles.
It was one of the most frustrating defensive performances of the season. It wasn’t catastrophic, but it was like a group sliding from elite to merely good. The success rate (53.2%) was the sixth-worst since Fangio’s arrival, and the variety of the Broncos’ run and play designs exposed weaknesses. The pass rush lacks juice, with Fangio having to deal with pressure constantly because the front can’t win naturally. If you compare the game plans this year to the Super Bowl last year, they are totally different.
Fangio’s structure still works, but the lack of depth and predictable Rush packages are catching up to them. For the first time in a while, it looks like the Eagles defense is finally missing some of the talent they lost during the offseason. Unless they succeed more at quarterback, this unit will continue to bend and break at times, against well-coached offenses like Sean Payton’s.
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