If you’re like most, you probably can’t even begin to count how many hours you’ve watched the Philadelphia Eagles play football. We’d still be willing to bet you have done so enough to be familiar with some of the cliches.
It’s said that NFL teams only soar as high as a capable quarterback can take them. There’s also another side to that coin. QBs can struggle when their organization doesn’t put pieces around them.
Once upon a time, we heard that ‘offense sells tickets’ and ‘defense wins championships’. Some have debated the accuracy of both statements. Then again, had Philly’s offense made a few more plays (or if the defense would have made one stop in Super Bowl LVII’s second half) the Birds might own a second Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Last season, Philly’s defense regressed, so they added pieces during free agency. They added young playmakers early in the most recent NFL Draft. They also hired Vic Fangio. We’d assume all that would get people to drink the Kool-Aid, but it’s what’s not being said that has grabbed our attention.
Wouldn’t it seem like the Eagles’ defensive upgrades would land at least one of their units among the NFL’s elite?
CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo cooked up an intriguing read recently. He ranked the NFL’s top 10 defensive position groups. Every unit from every team is considered, so for a squad with playmakers on both sides of the ball, you’d assume Philly would be somewhere in the discussion.
They are not… They are not first. They are not fifth. We read Pro Football Focus’s take on the best units in the NFL. Again, no mention of the Bird Gang. Did we overrate Philly some, or are these rankings fair? Are we right to ask questions? Let’s take a look at all three levels of the defense.
