His best game yet? Nakobe Dean settling into starting role after long wait

His best game yet? Nakobe Dean settling into starting role after long wait originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Nakobe Dean filled up the stat sheet in Sunday’s blowout win over the Giants.

The third-year linebacker led the Eagles with 11 tackles and added 4 quarterback hits, 2 sacks and 2 TFLs in the 28-3 win at MetLife Stadium. Many called it the best game of his NFL career.

What did Dean think?

“It was aight,” Dean said on Thursday. “I had two sacks so that’s probably why they are saying that. We just gotta continue to get better week-to-week. That’s the only thing I’m focused on: Getting better. We continue to get better, not really listening to what people have to say.

“If I live by their compliments, I’m gonna die by their criticism. I’m just gonna focus on getting better and better, week-to-week and that’s it. This defense is getting better. That’s it.”

Through six weeks of the 2024 season, Dean has had some ups and downs as the Eagles’ starting middle linebacker. But even if Sunday’s game against the Giants wasn’t his best in the NFL, it had to be darn close.

And after waiting two years to really settle into his role as a starter in Philly, he’s enjoying every minute of this.

“I love it. That’s why I came in the league,” Dean said. “That’s why the Eagles drafted me, to be able to be a starting middle linebacker on a good defense. We just gotta continue to get better. I feel great and I just thank God. Thank God to be able to be out here and roll.”

As a third-round pick in 2022, Dean was behind T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White on the Super Bowl team and basically had a redshirt season. The Eagles tabbed him as their starter for the 2023 season but Dean suffered some serious foot injuries early in the year and his season was cut short.

The plan wasn’t to hand him the starting MIKE job in 2024. In fact, the Eagles brought in former first-round pick Devin White as a free agent. But Dean beat him out in training…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/best-game-yet-nakobe-dean-130013493.html

Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2024-10-25 13:00:13

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