The Philadelphia Eagles are understandably doing some soul-searching after the embarrassing defeat to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. With a quick turnaround before Friday's clash against the Bears, the Eagles will desperately try to bounce back against one of the hottest teams in the league.
Until Week 12, the Eagles' defense was trending up. Against the Cowboys' high-powered offense, however, they allowed 473 yards. Yet, their run defense continues to be much-improved compared to earlier in the season. Much of that credit goes to Nakobe Dean, who has been increasing his snap share every week. As a result, coveted rookie Jihaad Campbell has seen his playing time reduced in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, when asked why Campbell was losing his snaps, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio responded by saying Dean has been playing well and deserves to be there, per 94WIP.com's Eliot Shorr-Parks.
This puts Campbell at a crossroads. He has been playing very well in his rookie campaign before undeservedly getting benched. As a result, he has put together his three worst games of the season in terms of Pro Football Focus grades in the last three weeks. Despite 56.4, 33.6, and 51.2 defensive grades since Week 10, Campbell's PFF grade for the season (77.6) is still higher than Dean's (59.2). How the 21-year-old defender will respond to this adversity will determine how much he will play going forward and his development as a player.
Jihaad Campbell's Response to Adversity Will Speak Volumes About His Future
Nick Sirianni and Fangio have spoken highly of Campbell despite his reduction in role. When the coaching staff is seemingly impressed with what he is doing, it must be hard to understand for Campbell why he is suddenly getting less of a chance.
What is hurting Campbell is the fact that the Eagles have gotten reinforcements in the pass rush. With the unretirement of Brandon Graham, the return of Nolan Smith, and the acquisition of Jaelan Phillips, there aren't many snaps to go around on the EDGE, either. This limits Campbell's opportunities, whose versatility to line up as an inside LB or on the defensive line has been his selling point as a prospect.
The Eagles have to find a way to get Campbell on the field more. He has shown that he can be a true difference-maker for this team in the first half of the season. Trying to get Dean going is understandable, but losing Campbell's production in return is not a smart sacrifice.
For Campbell, the best he can do is to use this as extra motivation and stay ready, as he will undoubtedly get more chances in the final stretch of the season and the playoffs.