Joe Camporeale – USA TODAY Sports
Maybe Chip Kelly should have the Philadelphia Eagles tackling to the ground during training camp, after all.
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots orchestrated two 80-yard touchdown drives against the Eagles’ first-team defense, which limped through the 2012 season with two coordinators and showed little sign of shaking off the cobwebs in Friday night’s preseason-opening 31-22 loss at Lincoln Financial Field.
DeMeco Ryans was badly out of position on the first play of the game, a 62-yard Steven Ridley run that would have been a touchdown had it not been for the hustle of cornerback Bradley Fletcher. Later, Ryans got blown off the line of scrimmage on another Ridley first-down run.
As the first two series played out, it was painfully evident that the Eagles were getting blown off the line of scrimmage by the Patriots’ offensive line. And it would have been nice to see someone, anyone, from the secondary make a play.
In 16 plays against future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Brady, the Eagles’ top defensive unit — which finished a dreadful 29th in scoring defense in 2012 — allowed 160 yards and 14 points in less than 10 minutes of game action.
“We’re not going to dwell on it too much because it’s only one preseason game,” safety Nate Allen said afterwards. “But things like that are going to happen sometimes. Guys are going to miss tackles, that’s the nature of this game. Those running backs get paid, too and they aren’t slouches. There aren’t any excuses, we just have to get better.”
It wasn’t all bad for the defense. Later in the game, some of the youth along the front seven were impressive with the bright lights shining.
Second-year defensive lineman Vinny Curry feasted on the Patriots’ reserves to the tune of two quarterback hurries, half a sack and two tackles. Defensive coordinator Bill Davis Jr. slid Curry inside to nose tackle in the 3-4 scheme, and the adjustment seemed to suit Curry well; he showed an uncanny ability to get into the backfield as a bull rusher throughout the game.
Likewise, rookie Bennie Logan finished with five tackles, two sacks and a quarterback hurry.
It isn’t a stretch to say that defensive line may be this team’s deepest position on the roster.
However, in order for the Eagles to be competitive this season, it’s imperative that the first unit not only tackle better but find a way to eliminate the kinds of big plays that gashed them on Friday night.
Time is running out with only 31 days remaining until the season opener, and Kelly would be wise to do whatever it takes to instill a sense of toughness, which appears to be lacking in this team, during the remainder of training camp and the preseason.
Matt Lombardo is also a sports radio host on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow him on Twitter.
