Eagles’ Defense Has Lost Its Identity, and Changes Need to Come Quickly
Sep 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean (33) and linebacker Jihaad Campbell (11) tackle Chicago Bears wide receiver Kalif Raymond (14) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
The defensive struggles continued for the Eagles on Monday Night Football, as they found themselves helpless against a Case Keenum-led Chicago Bears team.
The most obvious flaw within the defense lies in the secondary, with the consistent mistakes and missed tackles shared between the safety duo of Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps. Epps, in just three weeks, already has multiple games with multiple missed tackles. On top of this, his tackling errors have single-handedly strained the Eagles, such as Luther Burden‘s touchdown. On the other hand, Mukuba has also struggled within the tackling department, putting up three missed tackles against the Tennessee Titans.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been forced to move away from his usual schemes due to a lack of trust in his own safeties. Without Reed Blankenship, Fangio lost a crucial piece of his defense, as Blankenship served as the pre-snap communicator within the secondary. Now, Mukuba and Epps split this responsibility, and it causes a lack of stability within the coverages and, with that, the tackling.
On top of that, due to the blatant errors committed by the safeties, Fangio has begun rotating the position more often, including Michael Carter II and occasionally Cooper DeJean. This switch is not one Fangio enjoys, as he tends to stick to base packages; however, that is impossible due to the lack of communication.
However, this issue moves much past the secondary, as even the highly touted defensive line has seen little to no action. In three games, the Eagles have managed just three sacks, the fourth-lowest in the NFL. Although the injury to Jonathan Greenard has hindered the unit, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, Moro Ojomo, and others have been underperforming.
Along with this, the defense as a whole is doing a terrible job of getting off the field, having zero takeaways in three games. They are the only team in the entire league that hasn’t forced one turnover through 12 quarters. The offense has five turnovers through three games, so as a team the Eagles have a turnover differential of -5, which is tied for the second-worst mark in the league, behind only the Atlanta Falcons.
With all this being said, it is clear that, although the Eagles did not lose major pieces to free agency, they lost consistency, and with consistency being key in Fangio’s schemes, they lost their identity. Thus far, the Eagles have allowed 23 points per game to two teams who picked within the top seven, and one who was forced to play their third-string QB.
The Eagles have faced off against Jayden Daniels, Cam Ward, and Keenum. This Sunday, the Eagles face off against the reigning MVP, Matthew Stafford, in what could be a season-defining game against the preseason Super Bowl favorites, Los Angeles Rams. As they approach the end of the first quarter of the season, changes need to be made, and quickly.
Isaac Baranski
Isaac is a high-school senior who currently attends the Hun School of Princeton. In his free time, he has many interests, but most of all is his love for Philadelphia sports. He has watched the 76ers since the days of Sam Hinkie and hopes to watch the process be completed. He has also watched the Phillies since the days of Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and the great crew, and hopes to see Red October finally achieve its goal. Along with that, he picked up a love for the Philadelphia Union shortly before the pandemic and has seen them win multiple Supporters’ Shields in person. Lastly, and most importantly, he is a major football lover and an even bigger Eagles lover. Since developing his love for The Birds in elementary school, he has made it his goal to never miss a game.
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