Five Big-Picture Takeaways From Eagles Week 16 Loss vs Redskins

3.) The Jordan Hicks Injury Was the Death Blow to the Eagles Defense

Oct 25, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) stands on the field prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Carolina defeated Philadelphia 27-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The rookie season of linebacker Jordan Hicks, from the moment he was drafted, is still one of the more fascinating ones in the context of the NFL this season. He was generally seen as a foolish pick by the Eagles, already with a logjam at the inside linebacker position. After an underwhelming preseason, Hicks filled in for Kiko Alonso in week two and delivered a hit that caused arguably the most significant injury in the NFL in 2015. Tony Romo breaking his collarbone changed the entire context of not only the NFC East, but the entire conference. Hicks’ defensive rookie of the year campaign was cut short by Romo’s Cowboys later in the season, but not before he delivered perhaps his most memorable play in his short career.

Jordan Hicks is 23 years old. He was not as dominant as Fletcher Cox, but was clearly the most important player on the Eagles defense. He demonstrated an awareness and football instinct on the field that mirrored some of the top veterans in the game and gravitated toward the ball on a defense that feasted on turnovers. After Hicks went down in the Eagles week 9 rematch with the Cowboys with a torn pectoral muscle, the defense would trend downward in a big way.

In a scheme that did not feature a air-tight secondary or a dominant individual pass-rusher, Hicks’s ability to diagnose, pursue, and execute was key. He had the talent to cover pass-catchers without struggling to identify what routes they were running. The Eagles had other linebackers who were capable of either one or the other. Hicks was the only one that could do both. He took over as the heart of the Eagles defense and Malcolm Jenkins quote listed above only reaffirms that notion.

The nature of Hicks’s injury makes his future somewhat murky. A torn pectoral muscle can drastically affect the tackling ability of a defender. Especially given his checkered past in terms of injuries, it’s not overkill to be concerned over whether or not Hicks can recapture the form that made him the most impressive linebacker on the team. One can only cross fingers and hope that he is able to make a full recovery and shake the injury-prone label that allowed him to drop to the 3rd round. Hicks is an absolute gem and to have his career derailed by an injury suffered as a result of the Eagles failing to stop a 4th down conversion against Matt Cassel would be a cruel twist of fate.