The Philadelphia Eagles had one of the best defenses in the entire NFL last season. Their ferocious pass rush was complemented by solid linebacker play and a strong secondary on the back end. But 2025 is a new season in Philly.
The Eagles overcame multiple mistakes by key personnel (including defensive tackle Jalen Carter's ejection before the first snap) and won their season-opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Still, their pass defense looked shaky.
In 2024, Philadelphia ranked first in both passing yards allowed and net yards gained per passing attempt (5.1). On Thursday, they technically only gave up 188 passing yards (5.5 yards per pass) to Dak Prescott, but that number was more about luck than dominance.
Dallas wasted no time going after Adoree' Jackson on their first drive of the game. On 3rd-and-1 from the Eagles’ 33-yard line, Prescott targeted Jackson deep, connecting with CeeDee Lamb for a 32-yard gain.
That was just the beginning of a rough night for Jackson. He was targeted seven times, allowing five receptions for 103 yards. As a result, he earned the Eagles' second-lowest PFF grade for a defensive player.
As shaky as Jackson looked, the Eagles’ top corner, Quinyon Mitchell, arguably had an even tougher outing—even if the box score doesn’t tell the full story.
Quinyon Mitchell Had a Concerning Week 1 Performance for the Eagles
On paper, Mitchell allowed just four receptions on nine targets for 30 yards. But he and the Eagles’ defense were bailed out by two huge drops from Lamb.
Both passes were right on target, hitting Lamb square in the hands. Normally, those are plays he makes without issue. It was uncharacteristic of him to let the ball slip to the turf, and the Eagles won’t complain, but it’s troubling that their star corner was beaten cleanly on both routes.
Mitchell also committed a pass interference penalty earlier in the game. Prescott lofted a ball down the sideline to George Pickens. Pickens was in the process of maneuvering past Mitchell who held onto his jersey to prevent a touchdown. Mitchell also missed a tackle, adding to the concerns.
The Eagles are counting on Mitchell to take another leap after his impressive rookie campaign. A first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, he started 16 games last season and recorded 12 pass deflections. He’s expected to lock down the CB1 role in 2025.
The good news for Philly is that it's only Week 1. There’s plenty of time to correct mistakes.
This is what good teams do—they find ways to win even when they aren’t at their best. For the Eagles’ sake, they’ll hope this was just an early-season hiccup, not the start of a troubling trend.