Somebody asked Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott the other day whether his defense has looked better this summer than it did last year.
"At which point last year?" McDermott asked with a laugh. "You know, there's a number of new faces, and it's one thing to look good in preseason, and it's another to look good throughout each and every week of a 16-game schedule. So we still have a lot of work to do. And the players know that more than anybody."
Beset by injuries and the departure of seven-time Pro Bowl free safety Brian Dawkins, McDermott's unit struggled last season, giving up 27 touchdown passes and holding just two of their final 12 opponents to less than 20 points.
But head coach Andy Reid and general manager Howie Roseman made some key offseason additions, trading for linebacker Ernie Sims and drafting defensive end Brandon Graham (first round) and safety Nate Allen (second). Those additions, along with the return-to-health of middle linebacker Stewart Bradley and the opportunity by McDermott to have a full offseason to put his stamp on the defense (he replaced the late Jim Johnson a week before the start of training camp last year) has made a huge difference.
The first-team defense has looked good in training camp and in the preseason, though, as McDermott pointed out, it's one thing to look good now, and another to look good in November, December and January.
With Akeem Jordan moving from weak side linebacker to the strong side and Sims playing the WILL, the Eagles open the season with one of the league's faster linebacker units, which McDermott hopes will improve their pass defense, particularly against opposing tight ends, who caught 100 passes against the Eagles in '09.
"I like the toughness in the group there with those three," McDermott said. "And they look like they're building that chemistry from being out on the field together, which is important."
Rookies Allen and Graham both will be in the starting lineup against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 12. The Eagles used three different players at free safety last season and none were close to adequate. But Allen has picked up McDermott's complex defense quickly and has played well this summer.
Allen came into training camp as the starting free safety and never was challenged. Graham started camp behind veteran Juqua Parker at left end. Parker had a career-high eight sacks last year, but Graham was named the season-opening starter last week after an impressive camp and preseason. Graham will play outside on first and second down and move inside to tackle in the Eagles' nickel package.
"There's a process in place and when you start in training camp, or really even back in the spring, there's a to-do list that's this long, and you try each and every day, each and every week to check off a number of those boxes," McDermott said. "And I think we've done that in terms of moving the defense forward. Are all of those boxes checked off? Certainly not, and that's what we need to continue to push forward on and make sure we're working on it."
Ironically, the Eagles' offense, which didn't seem to have nearly as many question marks as the defense when training camp opened, aside from a new quarterback (Kevin Kolb) and a center (Jamaal Jackson) coming off a major knee injury, has struggled in the preseason.
Kolb hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in six quarters and the Eagles' first-team offense is 1-for-6 in the red zone.
Jackson, who started 71 straight regular-season games before tearing his ACL last December, hasn't played in the Eagles' first three preseason games but may see his first action Thursday against the Jets. He is optimistic that he'll be ready to play on September 12 against the Packers.
COACHING: Andy Reid, 12th year, 12th with Eagles (118-75-1).
REMEMBERING: 2009 RECORD: 11-5 (2nd in NFC East); lost in wild-card game to Cowboys, 34-14.
PREDICTING: 2010 regular-season record: 10-6 (2nd in NFC East); lose in divisional round.
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