Well, the offense review from the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 11 win over the Detroit Lions was very negative. But this is much better! This was an outstanding defensive performance and the second straight week where they completely suffocated a top-tier passing offense. Coming out of the bye, the defense has allowed a combined 16 points, forced 10 fourth-down stops in two games, and held opponents to single digits in back-to-back weeks. I think that’s pretty good!
Defense
The first play was a little lucky, but hey-ho. Cooper DeJean may have misplayed the crossing route. That should’ve been a wide-open completion. But Jordan Davis gets his massive hand on the ball, pops it into the air, and DeJean ends up with the interception anyway. Lucky? A bit. But also coached. You can see the weekly emphasis on batted passes throughout the film, and they paid off all game. Both Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter batted passes down in this one, after I mentioned it last week!
Detroit has one of the best run games in the league, but the Eagles shut them down early. This is Zack Baun at his absolute best. He recognizes the double team instantly, knifes through the gap, and makes a perfect open-field tackle. His processing is off the charts. After the bye, the entire front seven looks faster, more decisive, and more confident in their run fits. This stop set the tone for a day where Detroit averaged just 3.2 yards per carry and rarely looked comfortable on the ground.
The Jaelan Phillips effect. The trade has completely changed what the Eagles can do up front. Instead of relying on blitzes, they can rush four and still affect the quarterback. Phillips fakes a drop, disrupts St. Brown’s timing, then explodes off the edge for the sack. On the inside, Jalen Carter absolutely destroys the right guard. Suddenly, the Eagles have two legitimate game-wreckers. It’s no mystery why their blitz rate has dropped and the results have improved. Fangio has always wanted to rush 4 and have 7 in coverage as often as he can.
Another theme of this game was preparation and film study. The Eagles clearly had Detroit’s tendencies nailed at times. Carter literally points out the inside run before the snap, and Baun and Nakobe Dean trust him immediately, firing downhill to close the lane. That’s high-level defensive football. This is all about communication and trust. We saw this last week, too!
And it happened again on 4th down! Carter calls out the run up the gut, and the defense plays it perfectly. Brandon Graham and Moro Ojomo collapse the interior, forcing Gibbs sideways. This was one of five fourth-down stops. This was a key part of the defense against one of the league’s most aggressive offenses. The defense played very well in big moments. It feels like this defense steps up when it matters most.
Of course, the Lions are elite, so they’re going to hit a few plays. This one caught the Eagles in single-high. Adoree’ Jackson simply doesn’t have the speed to keep up with Jameson Williams on the crosser. You’d like Nakobe Dean to gain more depth, but the play-action sucks him up close to the LOS. Sometimes the offense calls the right thing at the right time. This is football.
But when Detroit did dial up a good call and left receivers open, the pass rush bailed out the secondary and forced Jared Goff to panic. I mentioned in the preview that the Vikings beat Detroit with double-A-gap “cross-dog” blitzes. The Eagles copied the idea! If you aren’t reading the preview, hopefully you will now! I also went in-depth on this on the preview video I do over on Patreon each week.
Both Baun and Dean rush here, and Dean forces Goff to rush his throw. Fangio mixing in these situational pressures is huge. He doesn’t blitz often, but when he does, it has an impact.
And sometimes you just need luck! DeJean loses this rep on 4th down. It should be a completion. But the throw is off, and the play falls incomplete. However, do you know what I loved? DeJean is furious. He doesn’t celebrate, doesn’t wag his finger (although I did love it when Jalen Mills did it, because it was hilarious). It shows how high this group’s expectations now are. They’re not chasing success. They want domination. The players on this defense want to be the very best.
Speaking of sky-high standards… This might’ve been my favorite rep of the entire game. Gibbs is a monster in space, and this play should go for a touchdown. But look at the pursuit: Campbell, Ojomo, and Carter are all flying down the field. That kind of collective hustle turns touchdowns into chunk plays. The effort level on this defense is entirely different since Fangio arrived. Fangio is a tough coach, but the players all buy in.
This is what happens when you finally have edges who can win! There’s a wide-open crosser, but Goff never sees it because Jalyx Hunt and Jaelan Phillips collapse the pocket instantly. Phillips beating Penei Sewell, one of the best right tackles in football, is big-time. Meanwhile, the Lions double Carter, freeing Jordan Davis to crush the pocket from the inside. This is an outstanding pass rush rep against a good offensive line.
And then there’s Quinyon Mitchell. My word. He’s already one of the best corners in the league. Fangio has moved him to the boundary the past couple of weeks (the shorter side of the field), which is where quick-game, back-shoulders, speed outs, and slants live because it’s easier to complete quick completions. Mitchell is the perfect fit for that role. By locking down the boundary, he also allows Adoree’ Jackson to play on the field side, where he can be better protected. Quinyon Mitchell has been genuinely elite over the past two seasons.
Elite. Detroit runs a switch release that forces Mitchell into outside leverage, then hits a deep in-breaker. Even though the Lions’ pass game wasn’t good, it’s obvious to see how good on film the route concepts are. It’s exactly the kind of route corners struggle with. Mitchell covers it perfectly. He’s balanced, patient, and explosive breaking downhill.
And this is the knock-on effect of the boundary/field adjustment. Adoree’ Jackson ends up covering Amon-Ra St. Brown, but he makes the play because the distance the ball has to travel is so far. Jackson is playing much better with this setup. He’s not being exposed in pure man; he’s using his vision and closing speed in off-zone. Coaching matters. This is Fangio putting players in positions to succeed. Can he run the offense?
Nakobe Dean has changed this defense since returning. His timing and violence as a blitzer are special. David Montgomery has struggled in pass protection all year, and Dean smokes him here before finishing on Goff. This is precisely the kind of interior pressure the team missed when he wasn’t in the lineup.
And then Cooper DeJean closes the show with a gorgeous zone rep. Let’s end here. It’s 3rd-and-long, Detroit needs a big play, so they run Dagger (a vertical route paired with a deep dig). DeJean squeezes the vertical just enough to shrink the throwing window, gets his head around early, reads the dig coming in behind it, and breaks it up. That’s high-level, anticipatory zone coverage. He’s so smooth and smart already. Can you believe the Eagles came away from last year’s draft with Quinyon and DeJean?! What an unbelievable haul.
Final thoughts
This was a fantastic defensive performance. The defense is physical, disciplined, and incredibly well-coached. They dominated one of the league’s top offenses, confused Goff for four quarters, and made big plays in key moments. The offense is searching, but the defense? The defense looks ready for January football. This defense might need to carry this team all the way to the Super Bowl.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!
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