More on Jalen Mills & the Defense

Posted: October 3rd, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »

Let’s talk about a few things that are being thrown around.

  • Jalen Mills is terrible.
  • Jalen Mills must be benched.
  • The Eagles defense can’t stop anyone.
  • The secondary is garbage.

Mills is not terrible. He is what we thought he was…an overachiever type who will compete, make tackles and battle all game long. He is not a special talent. He is not a gifted athlete. He is not a shutdown corner.

I get the knee-jerk reaction to saying Mills should be benched. Teams have targeted him on some deep balls. Mills has made his share of mistakes. The point I’ll make here is something I’ve said for years. You can argue that Mills should be benched. Jim Schwartz is betting his job on Mills. If he truly thought there was a better option on the roster, he’d make a move. Rasul Douglas has been up and down when he’s played. Mills is quicker, a better tackler and more experienced.

I know that coaches do have favorite players and can sometimes be overly loyal, but I don’t think that is going on here. Mills is in the prime of his career. This isn’t a coach sticking with a 10-year vet for one year too many. Mills has had some issues, but the defense isn’t falling apart.

Some say Sidney Jones should go to LCB. Okay. Then Avonte Maddox goes to the slot. You have new starters in two of three key spots. That would lead to some issues. Moving guys around is better in theory than it is in reality.

The defense has had some problems, but let’s check out the numbers.

9th in points allowed
10th in yards allowed
19th in passing yards allowed
1st in rushing yards allowed
16th in opposing passer completion percentage
9th in sacks
14th in opposing passer rating

Those numbers range from great to good to mediocre. But the Eagles are not in the bottom third of the league in those categories. The defense is not playing good enough, but we do need some perspective here.

If you prefer analytical stats.

Football Outsiders has the Eagles defense ranked 8th in DVOA.

No one is trying to tell you everything is hunky dory and the defense is just fine. They blew a 14-point lead on Sunday. That’s bad. You can’t do that. What I am saying is to have some patience. Schwartz has a terrific track record. These players were good last year and have looked good at times this season.

They need to clean up some mistakes. They need to make more plays. They need to be better.

*****

Go read Fran Duffy’s breakdown of the defense. Fran does a great job of explaining what went right and what went wrong. You’ll come away smarter.

It also made me feel better about the defense. Understanding what went wrong helps me. We’ve seen times in the past when the Eagles just weren’t good enough and got exposed. I don’t think that is the case right now.

*****

One thing we also have to keep in mind. NFL passing attacks are doing some freaky things.

This one kind of blows my mind.

Montana used to be the most efficient passer there was. He put up amazing numbers. In today’s game, his numbers wouldn’t be anything special at all.

I’m sure Joe would thrive in the modern game. My point is that the passing game around the league is at an all-time high. Teams are doing amazing things.

*****

Why make this move?

Hester might have been out-performing him in practice. That’s the best way to earn a roster spot.

The Eagles might have promoted Hester to get more production from the backup DTs. Hester is a better pass rusher than Hector and he’s more experienced. It is more likely that Hester can contribute right now.

The Eagles still like Hector. I would think they’ll try to put him on the practice squad soon.

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One Comment on “More on Jalen Mills & the Defense”

  1. 1 Eagles News: Philadelphia issues an early warning to Vikings fans – SportsNewsNow said at 10:21 AM on October 3rd, 2018:

    […] More on Jalen Mills & the Defense – Iggles BlitzMills is not terrible. He is what we thought he was…an overachiever type who will compete, make tackles and battle all game long. He is not a special talent. He is not a gifted athlete. He is not a shutdown corner. I get the knee-jerk reaction to saying Mills should be benched. Teams have targeted him on some deep balls. Mills has made his share of mistakes. The point I’ll make here is something I’ve said for years. You can argue that Mills should be benched. Jim Schwartz is betting his job on Mills. If he truly thought there was a better option on the roster, he’d make a move. Rasul Douglas has been up and down when he’s played. Mills is quicker, a better tackler and more experienced. […]