Something clicked. Right around the middle of the season. The Eagles’ defensive line, which had underachieved for two months, suddenly woke up. And they’ve been the strength of this defense – and this team – ever since.
If the Eagles are going to beat the 49ers Sunday and go on another deep playoff run, it’s going to have to be largely on the back of a defensive line that’s finally playing up to expectations.
“Man, we’re just a bunch of hungry dogs all pulling to get the same goal,” Nolan Smith said. “We’re just humble, and we’re just hungry, and we’re a young group, so, man, we bring our best every day, and that’s what we’re here to do, just as a collective group.
“And I want to see everybody win, no matter who got the sack, what happens, it doesn’t matter. Just happy that the whole group can go out there and ball, and we do it together.”
The Eagles had just 11 sacks through seven games, and only four teams had fewer. But over the final nine games – we won’t count the second Washington game – they had 31 sacks, 3rd-most in the league during that span. In the last 30 years, they’ve only finished stronger twice – 33 sacks over the last 10 games in 2002 and 47 in 2022.
They’ve also been better against the run, with the exception of the Bears game. After allowing 134 rushing yards per game and 4.7 per carry the first six weeks – 6th-worst in the league – they held eight of their last 11 opponents under 4.0 yards per carry and allowed 4.1 overall even with the disaster vs. the Bears.
This is such a deep, talented group, and they go four deep both outside and inside, and the second half of the season it’s shown. They’ve taken over games.
The Eagles this year were one of only four teams without a single player with seven or more sacks. But they’re one of only three teams that has eight different players with at least three sacks.
It’s not about any one superstar. It’s about the group. It’s about the team.
“Everybody’s selfless,” Brandon Graham said. “Nobody’s looking to be the star even though everybody has star potential. You got (Jalen Carter), who is a star, but he’s still working together. Jordan Davis becoming a star, Jalen Phillips coming in here excited because he’s on a winning team, but he’s playing to make everyone around him better.
“We’re selfless, so it makes it even better. Because there’s no pressure on one guy who has to get all the sacks. It’s not like some previous years, where you have maybe not so good a d-line but then you got some stars but you don’t have the depth we have. And sometimes those stars don’t care (about team goals), they just want to get theirs. And you’ve got to appreciate what we have, where everybody is a star.”
Despite the slow start, the Eagles finished with 42 sacks, tied for 12th-most in the NFL.
It doesn’t hurt that the secondary has been lights out, allowing an NFL-low 56.8 percent completion percentage and an NFL-low 14 touchdown passes. When they cover that well, quarterbacks are going to hold onto the ball longer, giving the pass rushers better opportunities.
“It’s great playing behind those guys,” Marcus Epps said. “It’s a good group of guys, good group of players, and then they play hard and they do their job. They get after the quarterback and they make it easier on us on the back end.”
What changed halfway through the season?
No one thing. Phillips got here Packers week and although he only has two sacks as an Eagle his presence and pressure has made a huge difference. Smith came back from a five-week injury layoff Packers week and has 3.0 sacks since. And Jalyx Hunt, who didn’t have a sack through Week 7, has 6 ½ since – 7th-most in the NFC during that 11-week span. The return of blitz specialist Nakobe Dean also helped. Dean has four sacks in 10 games after missing the first couple months of the season.
“I think we’re playing with very good technique,” Phillips said. “I think we’re playing fundamentally sound football and we’re playing with ultimate aggression, very physical football. So I think that’s kind of the identity that we have, and we’re just gonna keep building on that.”
It takes a special group of players to buy into this team-first mentality, and that goes back to the unselfish mentality Howie Roseman looks for in the draft process.
“We’ve just got a group mindset,” Smith said. “And I feel like when we’re playing that way, we’re unstoppable. And that’s how everybody feels. So everybody’s trying to pull their own weight and do their job.”
Bottom line: The second half of the season this has been as potent a defensive line as there is in football.
The 49ers don’t give up a lot of sacks – 4th-fewest in the NFL – and Brock Purdy is elusive in the pocket and loves to escape pressure and keep his eyes down the field and make plays. Over the last 10 games, Purdy was sacked just 13 times and threw 23 touchdown passes.
That’s what this group is up against Sunday.
“We know they have a great defense,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “They’ve had a Super Bowl defense for a few years now, so we know those will be the biggest challenges. They’ve got a really good pass rush and then they’ve got tight coverage.”
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