Five Big-Picture Takeaways from Eagles Week 15 Loss vs Cardinals

3.) The Eagles Defense Should Focus Less on Takeaways and more on Tackling

Dec 20, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) makes a reception and breaks the tackle attempt of Philadelphia Eagles inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks (95) during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

During a good chunk of the preseason, there was quite a bit of buzz surrounding defensive backs coach Cory Undlin and the innovations he was bringing to the Eagles revamped secondary. With an emphasis on improving technique and going to any length to try to force a turnover, Undlin’s arrival figured to help resolve what was the defense’s most glaring issue in 2014. To their credit, the secondary has been better this season. It’s not exactly the ‘Legion of Boom’, but it’s also not the laughing-stock that it was a year ago. The bigger issue for the 2015 Eagles defense, as was on display Sunday, was a seemingly universal inability to consistently tackle the ball-carrier.

Tackling is an area of the game that requires an emphasis on technique and a willingness to execute that technique against a world-class athlete. What’s particularly concerning about the Eagles is that there are some weeks where they are sound in doing so and others, like week 15, where they are disinterested. Some of the attempts made on Cardinals running back David Johnson as he rumbled his way to a career-high in rushing yards were laughably bad. Especially on the national stage against a Super Bowl contender with a chance to improve their position in the division, it is tough to imagine why the Eagles defenders weren’t making a stronger effort to prevent a rookie from embarrassing them all night.

Especially since they do not boast a top-end pass rusher or a devastating secondary, the Eagles defense has to be able to make sound plays when they are presented to them. For the most part, they’ve won games in which they’ve done so. Sunday night was a textbook example of the front-seven failing to fulfill their responsibilities against the run and forcing a secondary to lend a hand in the tackling department. For all the buzz about how the Eagles defensive backs were going to combat Arizona’s vertical attack, they managed to keep Carson Palmer relatively in check. It was the front seven’s inability to effectively limit the Cardinals run game that made the difference defensively on Sunday.