Philadelphia Eagles: Avonte Maddox will be put to the test against the LA Rams

Philadelphia Eagles CB Avonte Maddox should expect an increased responsibility in Week 2.

Heading into the 2020 NFL season, one of the biggest question marks surrounding that of the Philadelphia Eagles was their cornerback #2 job. The team had gone out and assessed their vacant CB1 and slot corner positions during the offseason in the way of acquiring Darius Slay and Nickell Robey-Coleman, but there was still some uncertainty regarding that second outside position.

After the team refused to select a CB during the draft, it had become increasingly clear that the job was Avonte Maddox‘s to lose. Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas were never even remotely considered for the role, and a wildcard veteran like Trevor Williams wasn’t even brought in for training camp initially. Jim Schwartz and the Eagles defense were going to ride with Maddox, regardless of the consequences.

With all the chaos that ensued during the team’s Week 1 loss on the offensive side of the ball, very little attention was even paid to how the new look Eagles secondary stacked up. Slay absolutely locked up Terry McLaurin, and Robey-Coleman was barely targeted. It was enough for fans to feel happy about.

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Maddox on the other hand also played well in his new role on the outside, allowing just 5 receptions while recording 4 tackles and a pass defensed. Washington was targeting him pretty emphatically in the passing game (8 total targets), and while Maddox’s passer rating allowed when targeted was an astronomically high 124.0, that doesn’t really tell the full story. Maddox allowed just 58 yards, the TD that was credited to him was more so a blown coverage on Jalen Mills‘ part, and Maddox didn’t miss any open field tackles.

All in all, it was a very promising afternoon for the former fourth-round pick.

However, Washington is far from having an “elite” passing offense. Maddox spent the majority of his time guarding the likes of Steven Sims and Dontrelle Inman (who?), while Dwayne Haskins was inaccurate all game long. Heading into a Week 2 showdown with the LA Rams, Maddox will be tested far more emphatically.

The Rams employ a passing attack which includes Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Van Jefferson, and Josh Reynolds. Kupp and Woods were the main players in their Week 1 win over Dallas, so you’ll likely see Slay and NRC stick on them for the majority of the afternoon. Jefferson and Reynolds on the other hand are both exciting young wideouts, and Maddox will have to remain on his best game to keep them neutralized.

Jefferson is 6-1 and Reynolds is 6-3, whereas Maddox is just a measly 5-9. One of the biggest concerns regarding Maddox’s ability to play on the outside is his size, so he’s going to have to win these matchups with his footwork at the line of scrimmage. Quick jams, sticky coverage, and disruptive catch-point contests all need to be utilized.

Maddox probably had the game of his career playing against the Rams back in 2018, where he recorded 2 passes defensed and 1 interception. He read Goff like a book during that crucial Week 15 showdown, and you hope to see a similar level of play this upcoming Sunday.

Sean McVay and the Rams employ one of the most creative offenses in all of football, but Jim Schwartz and the Philadelphia Eagles defense has had their way with them the past few seasons. Whereas most of the attention will undoubtedly be on the Eagles offensive line and a returning Miles Sanders, Maddox’s first real “test” on the outside is an underrated story worth following.