75 yards? Are you kidding?

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The Eagles defense allowed only 75 yards in Sunday's shutout of the Raiders. The last time the Raiders were held to that few yards was in 1961 - 64 years ago, when John F. Kennedy was President.

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In 2024, the Eagles defense came on strong at the end and set the stage for the Super Bowl run. But over the summer, the team lost five (5) key defensive players - Williams, Sweat, Slay, Gardner-Johnson, and Maddox.

 

How were the Birds supposed to recover from that? ​And yet they have.

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In the first 6 games this season, the Eagles surrendered an average of nearly 24 points per game. But in the last 8 games, the defense has allowed an average of only 16 points per game - and only 12 touchdowns over those 8 games. Oh yes - and they have 11 sacks in the last 2 games.

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Seriously - 16 points allowed per game? That is better than every single team in the NFL right now (and better than the 2024 Eagles.) Somehow, Vic Fangio is finding a way to tighten things up.

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Imagine what it will be like when a healthy Jalen Carter returns to the lineup.

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If defense wins championships, there is plenty of cause for optimism these days.