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Philadelphia Eagles defensive unit has matched the offense

By Russell S. Baxter

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 16: Terence Steele #78 of the Dallas Cowboys blocks Haason Reddick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 16, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 16: Terence Steele #78 of the Dallas Cowboys blocks Haason Reddick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 16, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Jalen Hurts and one of the most balanced offenses in the league have gotten plenty of attention. But the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense is on the rise.

The last time the NFL team from the City of Brotherly Love won its first six games, Andy Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles would actually open 7-0 and parlay that into a trip to Super Bowl XXXIX in 2004. That team would fall to the New England Patriots, 24-21, at Jacksonville.

This season, it is second-year NFL head coach Nick Sirianni that has the franchise off to a great start. The Birds are solid in the trenches on both sides of the ball. In terms of total yards gained and allowed, the club ranks fourth in the league in both categories. The Philadelphia offensive unit has already scored 19 touchdowns – 13 on the ground and six of those by quarterback Jalen Hurts.

The third-year pro has also thrown for 1,514 yards and six scores, with only two interceptions. And those are the only two turnovers by the Eagles this season. That’s the fewest in the league. Sirianni’s club has put the ball on the ground five times and has yet to lose a fumble this year.

But it’s the defense that really bears watching. And that unit has turned things around after a shaky start in the Motor City. In the club’s Week 1 win over the Lions, Philadelphia hung on for a three-point victory. That afternoon, the Eagles gave up 35 points and five offensive TDs. But in their last five games, the team has surrendered a combined 70 points. And coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s unit has allowed only eight offensive touchdowns.

Talk about improvement from a year ago? The playoff-bound Eagles forced only 16 turnovers in 17 regular-season outings and totaled a mediocre 29 sacks in those contests. The club currently leads the NFL with 14 takeaways (in only 6 games). And led by 2022 free-agent pickup Hasson Reddick (4.5) – as well as veterans Fletcher Cox (3.0) and Brandon Graham (3.0) – the Birds have already racked up 17 QB traps in a half-dozen outings.

There’s a long way to go this season. And it’s pretty obvious that the NFC East is the most improved division in the league. But before looking solely at Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, and the Philadelphia offense, keep an eye on an Eagles’ defensive unit that is starting to come into its own.

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