NSFW: A deep dive into just how bad Gannon and the Eagles linebackers have been
The Eagles’ defense under Jonathan Gannon has been one of the worst units in recent memory. This season, they’re allowing a league-high 74.4% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks with a 14 TD to 6 INT ratio. On top of that, they post the 4th worst rush defense, allowing 931 yards on the season and over four yards per attempt.
I thought Jim Schwartz didn’t know how to use his personnel correctly, but I had not yet seen Gannon’s defensive scheme. His conservative pressure style and unwillingness to get beat deep makes for a quarterback’s dream to stay clean and wait for receivers to get open. There is nothing exotic or disruptive about Gannon’s defense which is a substantial concern.
As bad as Gannon’s defensive schemes have been, the Eagles possibly have had the worst linebackers in the NFL for a couple years now. This next section might be painful, but let’s take a deep dive into how the linebackers have performed thus far.
*minimum 40 coverage snaps amongst linebackers*
*all stats from Zone Coverage*
| PLAYER | PFF COV. GRADE | COV. SNAPS | TARGETS | CATCHES | YARDS | NFLPR | |
| Alex Singleton | 38.3 (145th of 162) | 142 (14th) | 28 (2nd) | 26 (2nd) | 259 (2nd) | 117.3 (22nd) | |
| Eric Wilson | 58.9 (77th of 162) | 118 (28th) | 16 (27th) | 12 (31st) | 107 (37th) | 66.4 (124th) | |
| Davion Taylor | 29.0 (159th of 162) | 37 (85th) | 10 (53rd) | 10 (42nd) | 94 (44th) | 139.2 (3rd) | |
| TJ Edwards | 52.7 (102nd of 162) | 34 (88th) | 6 (76th) | 6 (66th) | 52 (77th) | 102.8 (50th) |
Singleton always has been that energy guy on special teams at best. It’s been three too many years now that we’ve seen him torched consistently in coverage and his tackling doesn’t make up for that liability. Eric Wilson is not what I expected after the offseason signing and Davion Taylor still has massive growing pains.
However, the most striking aspect is that Gannon’s linebacker packages tip off the opposing offense as to what they’re doing. If you have Singleton and Wilson out there, then it’s zone coverage and let the receivers find the gaps. Davion Taylor, TJ Edwards, with a mix of Singleton/Wilson means they’re focusing on the run. A few, very simple details that can go a long way in the NFL.
Perhaps the worst part of Gannon’s job so far is just simple discipline. The Eagles defense has the 2nd most penalties in the NFL (52) for the most yards (509), and 19 penalties have resulted in a 1st down for the other team (worst in league).
The most telling sign of Gannon’s struggles early as a full-time defensive coordinator has to be the Birds’ 54 missed tackles on the season, the 4th most trailing the Dolphins, Texans, and Ravens. When the unit you are responsible for becomes a liability due to penalties and easily fixed errors, all eyes start to turn towards the man running the show.
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY SPORTS
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