Philadelphia Eagles: 5 takeaways from preseason loss to Pittsburgh Steelers

4. Cox makes immediate impact

When considering this was the first game of preseason, it was safe to assume that most of the Eagles starters, or at least the ones playing, would receive little time on the field to avoid any unnecessary injuries. While most fans were surprised to see Fletcher Cox still on the field at the beginning of the second quarter, the defensive tackle once again showed why he’s one of the best in the league against Pittsburgh.

Cox wasted no time making an impact for Philadelphia on defense after recording a sack on Landry Jones on Pittsburgh’s first offensive drive of the game. Some questioned the decision by the Eagles to reward Cox with such a hefty extension a few years ago, but the defensive superstar continues to show how much of a force he can be against opponents trying to keep him in check.

Assuming all continues to go well from now until September, Cox should be in for another solid year for Philadelphia to help the defense rank near the top of the league for a second year in a row. Repeating as Super Bowl champions is never an easy task, but players like Cox give the Eagles a better chance of making it happen.