With veteran cornerback Isaiah Rodgers out with a hand injury, the stage was set for Kelee Ringo to step up as a boundary corner for the Philadelphia Eagles in Friday night’s season opener against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil.
Per PFF, that was not the case.
In a surprising move, one sure to be questioned this week, the Eagles had Ringo on the field for just four snaps, opting instead to play rookie Quinyon Mitchell on the outside opposite Darius Slay. Veteran Avonte Maddox, who worked at safety throughout training camp, slid back to the nickel — a spot Mitchell seemed to command so well throughout the summer.
Maddox played 60 of the Eagles' 67 defensive snaps, and it was a battle. The Packers targeted him in the passing game, including on back-to-back plays where he was flagged for pass interference on the first and surrendered a touchdown to receiver Christian Watson on the second.
After Avonte Maddox was flagged for defensive pass interference, then targeted on a touchdown on consecutive plays, it's becoming clear that Maddox at nickel may be an untenable arrangement....
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 7, 2024
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It begs the question on how new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and the team feels about the current state of the secondary. Like Ringo, rookie corner Cooper DeJean was a virtual DNP, playing just six snaps. DeJean was slowed by a hamstring injury in camp, and Fangio hinted that he still has work to do, but it’s hard to come out of Friday’s game feeling confident about Philly's depth at safety and corner.
Eagles defensive snap counts vs. Packers
- Darius Slay, CB — 67
- Zack Baun, LB — 67
- Reed Blankenship, S — 67
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S — 66
- Nakobe Dean, LB — 64
- Quinyon Mitchell, CB — 63
- Avonte Maddox, S — 60
- Jalen Carter, DI — 51
- Josh Sweat ED — 41
- Jordan Davis, DI — 35
- Brandon Graham, ED — 32
- Nolan Smith, ED — 31
- Bryce Huff, ED — 30
- Milton Williams, DI — 28
- Moro Ojomo, DI — 14
- Thomas Booker IV, DI — 8
- Cooper DeJean, CB — 6
- Kelee Ringo, CB — 4
- Tristin McCollum, S — 3
Baun was the best player on the field Friday. He racked up 15 tackles, 11 of them solo, and a pair of sacks — including the game-sealer on backup Malik Willis in the closing seconds. It was a stellar debut for the former New Orleans Saint.
The same can’t be said for Huff. He played less than half of the snaps and failed to impact the game. The Eagles will need more from the defensive end group as a whole going forward.
Eagles' offensive snap counts vs. Packers
- Jalen Hurts, QB — 76
- Jordan Mailata, T — 76
- Landon Dickerson, G — 76
- Mekhi Becton, G — 76
- Lane Johnson, T — 76
- DeVonta Smith, WR — 76
- Cam Jurgens, C — 76
- A.J. Brown, WR — 72
- Dallas Goedert, TE — 62
- Saquon Barkley, RB — 61
- Grant Calcaterra, TE — 36
- Jahan Dotson, WR — 32
- Kenneth Gainwell, RB — 15
- Johnny Wilson, WR — 10
- Britain Covey, WR — 9
- Will Shipley, RB — 4
- E.J. Jenkins, TE — 3
The biggest story on the offensive side of the ball was Dotson, who was invisible in his Eagles debut. While he clearly operated ahead of Wilson and Covey, he was targeted just once over his 32 snaps and failed to make a catch.
The Eagles had a problem at No. 3 wide receiver coming out of training camp, and Dotson, the former first-round pick of the Washington Commanders, was expected to be the answer when he arrived late via trade. But quarterback Jalen Hurts targeted A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley on 25 of his 34 pass attempts in the game.
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