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Eagles’ defense starting to resemble legendary 1991 unit originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
If you were around to see the legendary 1991 Eagles defense, you might be having flashbacks these days.
After shutting down the Rams and their high-powered passing game Sunday night, the Eagles have now gone seven straight games allowing fewer than 300 yards and allowed an average of just 222 yards and 12.6 points per game during that span.
That’s the fewest yards per game the Eagles have allowed in a seven-game stretch since 1991, when the Eagles were No. 1 in the NFL against both the pass and the run and allowed … 222 yards per game.
This group isn’t quite there, but 11 games into the season they are No. 3 against the pass, No. 7 against the run and No. 1 overall.
Last time they finished a season ranked No. 1? That was 1991.
That was a veteran group loaded with all-pros and a Hall of Famer (or two hopefully soon) that had been together for years.
Wes Hopkins was in his ninth year with the Eagles, Andre Waters was in his eighth, Reggie White in his seventh, Seth Joyner and Clyde Simmons in their sixth, Jerome Brown and Byron Evans in their fifth, Eric Allen in his fourth.
Bud Carson came in as defensive coordinator and had that group playing at an unprecedented level. The 222 yards per game they allowed remains the fewest ever by any NFL team in a 16-game (or 17-game) season.
Like 1991, this group has a new defensive coordinator, a grizzled veteran, who’s near the end of a brilliant coaching career.
What makes Vic Fangio’s group so remarkable is its youth and inexperience – it’s the youngest defense in the NFL and is loaded with guys just getting started in the NFL. Neither Zach Baun nor Nakobe Dean had ever been starting linebackers before. Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell are rookies. Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith weren’t starters last year. C.J. Gardner-Johnson is back after a year in Detroit.
Now they’re all key members of the NFL’s top defense.
This…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-defense-starting-resemble-legendary-182324628.html
Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia
Publish date : 2024-11-26 03:35:00
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