Much has been said and much can be said about Philadelphia’s failure to reach a deal with the Falcons on Monday night. All eyes will be on the inexplicable decision to take a 3-pointer and a 3-pointer (risking an incomplete pass) at the Atlanta 10 with less than two minutes to play. But the Eagles defense is worth watching. That was one of the topics discussed on PFT Live with McCourty on Tuesday. (This wallpaper contains a clip.)As Devin said, Philly appears to be protecting its scout team from the onslaught needed to build confidence for the two-minute drill. They were too far from the ball. They gave too many easy endings. They didn’t rush defenders who had a history of bending under pressure. Because he lacked the mobility to escape.
Organic, unscripted conversations always lead to deeper questions. Is that one of the risks of having a defensive coordinator on the sideline rather than the bench? According to Devine, it seemed inevitable that the Patriots would come on the field and score a touchdown in overtime in Super Bowl LI to win. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia chastised the defensive linemen, telling them to stop watching the game and prepare to play. Who made the Eagles defense make a play when everyone thought the game was over? Some of these players may have assumed the game was in the bag and mentally checked it out. Who checked again?
McQury is called “Rocky Cornon Mitchel”. Last year he played in Toule. Now in his second NFL season, he’s had to find a way to respond when the offense looks like a win might slip away. Was there someone in the game to protect Mitchell’s heart? For some reason, the defense has been lagging since the start of the last race. In an instant, the mood went from “Cousins are going to screw this up” to “Damn, they’re going to score.” The Falcons hung from the ropes, came through and beat down the Eagles. With so many coaching issues plaguing the Eagles heading into the 2023 season, it’s hard not to wonder if the coaching staff has done everything they can to make sure their quarterback is up to the task. There was no attack.
