PHILADELPHIA − It goes without saying that a lot had to go right for the Eagles to be undefeated through the first six games.
But the Eagles have put together a high-powered offense and a defense that leads the NFL in forcing turnovers by a wide margin.
That begins with the veteran leadership, but not just on the field. It also includes welcoming in new players, even those who might end up replacing those leaders.
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Eagles coach Nick Sirianni mentioned how defensive tackle Fletcher Cox welcomed in first-round pick Jordan Davis, even though Davis will ultimately succeed Cox. It’s the same way with center Jason Kelce welcoming in second-round pick Cam Jurgens. Kelce even gave his seal of approval after reviewing Jurgens’ college video before the draft.
Sirianni also mentioned Brandon Graham when the Eagles signed pass rusher Haason Reddick. Graham has seen his playing time, but not his effectiveness, reduced.
Even wide receiver A.J. Brown, whom the Eagles traded for last spring after drafting DeVonta Smith, said he looks at Smith like “my little brother,” helping him along whenever he can.
That correlates to the field.
Against the Cowboys, safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson intercepted Cooper Rush’s pass late in the fourth quarter after the Eagles stretched their lead to 26-17. The interception was made possible by Graham hitting Rush just as he threw, making the pass flutter in the air near the middle of the field, where Gardner-Johnson dove to pick it off.
“You don’t know who’s going to make (the big play), but I know I’m just going all-effort and doing my job,” Graham said. “I’m happy the hit made (Rush) throw it up and CJ came down with it because that was a tough catch. We got playmakers on this team that made their plays when it came to them.”
Here, then, are 6 players who have stood out beyond the stat sheet. Let’s start with the premise that little of this would have been possible without the outstanding play from quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is becoming an MVP candidate:
Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle
One year ago, Cox was in the midst of the worst season of his career with only one sack through the first 13 games, and he was publicly ripping defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Look at him now. Cox is actually playing less than he was last season − 61% compared to 66% − but he’s playing much better, with 3 sacks. Davis’ playing time should increase as the season goes along. But late in a close game, Cox is showing that he deserves to be on the field.
James Bradberry, cornerback
For the second time in recent weeks, Slay stood at his locker after a game as reporters clustered and rhetorically asked why the Giants let Bradberry go. The obvious reason was that the Giants were cash-strapped and couldn’t fit Bradberry into their salary cap. The Eagles pounced, signing Bradberry to a one-year, prove-it deal. Well, Bradberry has proved it. He leads the NFL with 9 pass break-ups, and he has 2 interceptions, just behind Slay and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who have 3.
“That’s the name of the game, making plays on the ball and creating turnovers,” Bradberry said.
Lane Johnson, right tackle
The difference was noticeable right away against the Cowboys after Johnson left late in the first half with a concussion. All of a sudden, Micah Parsons was often lining up over Johnson’s replacement, Jack Driscoll. While Parsons didn’t have any sacks, the Eagles’ offense ground to a halt in the third quarter before embarking on the pivotal game-clinching drive.
“Lane’s an irreplaceable guy, especially with the edge players that (the Cowboys) have,” Kelce said. “I don’t want to hype him up, but I don’t think we’re worried about playing any edge defender, quite frankly. I think he’s been the best pass-blocking right tackle in the league for some time.”
Johnson still hasn’t given up a sack since the 2020 season.
Miles Sanders, running back
The Eagles had always believed this was possible from Sanders, as long as he could stay healthy. Sanders is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards with 485, on pace for 1,377 yards. Sanders’ effectiveness should continue as the season goes along because teams have to account for both him and Hurts as runners.
“Miles has been tremendous through this first six weeks,” offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said. “He’s running hard. He’s got great vision.” Most importantly, Sanders hasn’t turned the ball over.
A.J. Brown, wide receiver
Brown has been everything the Eagles could have hoped for when they traded for him last April. He’s sixth in the NFL in yards receiving with 503. He has also had an impact on Smith on and off the field. Steichen calls Brown’s impact the “it factor.”
“I think when you have that, it raises the level of everyone around you,” Steichen said.
Smith has 397 receiving yards this season as he’s still thriving despite not getting as many targets.
Haason Reddick, edge rusher
Like Brown, Reddick was another high-priced addition who has exceeded expectations so far. Reddick leads the Eagles with 4.5 sacks, but he also frees up others to get pressure on the quarterback because of the attention he draws.
“We use him when we set up certain looks to help other players,” Gannon said. “Sometimes it shows up on a stat sheet; sometimes it doesn’t. But when you have a player like that, he’s helping us win every game and get favorable matchups.”
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
