Next Steps for Epps

PHILADELPHIA — Now days removed from his unit’s most sluggish defensive offering through 12 games, Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio supplied answers to a flurry of pertinent questions that covered a wide-range of topics. Fangio and his bunch will look to regroup Monday night at SoFi Stadium, when the Eagles take on the Los Angeles Chargers.

Here are some key takeaways from Fangio’s Tuesday availability.

GETTY IMAGES: Marcus Epps could soon fill in as a starting safety when he returns from injured reserve.

Safety Dance?

With rookie safety Drew Mukuba shelved due to a fractured ankle, the Eagles turned to third-year pro Sydney Brown last Friday as his replacement. Brown, who accounted for 85 of 87 defensive snaps, was uneven in the Eagles’ 24-15 loss, prompting a brief, albeit direct, answer from Fangio when evaluating his performance.

“It was a lot like the rest of us,” he said. “Some good, some bad.”

The challenge posed in the immediate aftermath of the Mukuba injury centered around the team’s razor thin depth at the position, limiting optionality. Brown was the most logical solution, but veteran Michael Carter II — a cornerback by trade — could also do it if necessary. But Tuesday’s news housekeeping news suggests that a new face could shake things up, perhaps providing an alternative option for the stretch run.

The news alluded to pertained to the opening of Marcus Epps’ practice window. Epps, 29, was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury following the Eagles’ 38-20 rout over the New York Giants. It’s worth noting that in that game, Epps entered the game before Brown, seemingly overtaking the Illinois product as the third safety. When asked whether Fangio believed Epps would be ready for Monday night and if he’s in contention to start, Fangio replied “yes” before elaborating on what he likes about the veteran defensive back.

“He’s an experienced safety,” Fangio said. “He’s got good instincts, got good feel for the game. We’ll have to get a feel and a barometer about where he is at, missing the last four or five weeks, whatever it was, where he couldn’t practice anyway.”

Epps started all 17 regular season games and postseason contests for a 2022 Eagles team that made it to the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, before departing for the Raiders in free agency.

Run Game Woes, Jalen Carter Update

It’s not often a team control the line of scrimmage and gashes the Eagles on the ground, but that’s exactly what the Chicago Bears did on Black Friday, to the tune of 281 rushing yards. The 9-3 Bears leaned on its thunder and lightning backfield of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who combined for 40 carries, 255 yards and two touchdowns. The outside zone and misdirection runs neutralized a penetrating Eagles’ defensive line, uncharacteristic as that is under Fangio.

“Biggest issues were, one, they run the ball very well,” he said. “I didn’t do a good enough job of preparing our squad for the quality and the diversity of their run game. We didn’t play the run and the blocks the way we had been playing.”

Perhaps most glaring in defeat was the performance of standout defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was often washed down when the Bears surged through the teeth of the Eagles’ defense. Following the game, Carter, who mysteriously alluded to something he’s dealing with, didn’t resort to excuse-making and chose not to expand. It’s worth a reminder that Carter dealt with a shoulder injury earlier this season, and Fangio pointed to the injury as a contributing factor for his quiet outing.

“He does have a shoulder issue,” he said. “He has been playing with it. Late in the game, he had a great play with it, but it’s definitely something there.”

When asked whether Carter, who has accounted for 72% of the team’s defensive snaps through 12 games, can log his usual quantity of snaps, Fangio wasn’t ready to offer a definitive answer one way or the other.

“We’ll see,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Of the Eagles’ 87 defensive snaps last Friday, the total for the interior linemen were as followed: Moro Ojomo (62), Carter (61), Jordan Davis (59), Byron Young (38). Rookie Ty Robinson was inactive, but in light of Carter’s shoulder injury, Fangio said it’s “possible” Robinson could factor into the rotation.

First-Round Rookie Yields Zero Defensive Snaps

Playing time on defense has been tough to come by in recent weeks for Eagles’ rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell. For perspective, Campbell played just 20 snaps against the Lions, followed by a season-low 11 in the team’s 24-21 loss in Dallas. On Friday, in a game in which the defense was on the field for 87 snaps, Campbell accounted for just six special teams snaps. When asked about Campbell’s usage in the game days later, Fangio admitted he should have worked the Alabama standout into the mix some.

“Probably should have gotten him in there for a few,” he said. “That’d be my fault there. But, obviously with the run game, the way it was happening, that has been a strength of the [LB] Nakobe’s [Dean]. We wanted to leave him in there.”

Campbell, a starter the first eight games of the season, is eighth on the unit in snaps (526) and fourth in combined tackles (53), behind only safety Reed Blankenship, defensive back Cooper DeJean and fellow linebacker Zack Baun. When asked about what dictates when Fangio deploys Campbell, the veteran coordinator pointed to the flow of the game. Making opportunities increasingly scarcer is that Dean, the team’s fourth-year linebacker and heartbeat of the defense, is playing well. Dean brings a swagger and tone-setting mentality to the group, and his football intelligence is a valued commodity. Simply stated, at this stage, he’s more proficient blitzing and defending the run. And it didn’t take Dean long to reestablish his chemistry playing alongside Baun.

But that’s not to say that there shouldn’t be snaps available for Campbell to showcase his range and athleticism, particularly in coverage. Fangio’s comment supports that. When previously undertaking a prominent role, Campbell was making notable strides each week, and it can be argued that completely depriving him of defensive work would be short-changing his development. There should be opportunities for both to play, as Dean and Campbell provide complementary skill sets. Perhaps the solution is that Campbell factors into the equation on a situational basis, capitalizing on his speed and cover ability. Against a team like the Chargers, whom the Eagles will see on Monday night, I’m curious to see if Campbell has a role similar to his contributions against the Lions a few weeks prior.

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com