Man Up: Appreciating Trent Cole
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Man Up: Appreciating Trent Cole
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the player-by-player breakdown of the Eagles' defensive performance against the Cowboys, after having re-watched the game.
For those of you who didn't tune in, Dallas lost Tony Romo in the first quarter, but left the rest of their starters in for the entire game.
Jason Babin - No sacks for Babin. He’s tied with DeMarcus Ware for second in the league with 18, behind Jared Allen, who has 18.5. Babin got pressure on Romo and Stephen McGee throughout the game though. He looped behind Mike Patterson and Casey Matthews (who was blitzing) to hit Romo and knock him out of the game in the first. Babin and Trent Cole pressured McGee, forcing him to flip it to Sammy Morris short of a first down on 3rd-and-25 in the second. His pressure off the edge helped lead to Derek Landri’s sack in the fourth. And Babin pressured McGee on a third down in the fourth.
Cullen Jenkins - Decent game for Jenkins. His penetration led to Darryl Tapp dropping Morris for a 3-yard loss in the second. Jenkins lined up at left defensive end and dropped Morris for no gain on 3rd-and-1 in the third. His veteran presence and versatility is needed on this team in 2012.
Mike Patterson - He had a good game and has had a very good season, showing he can pressure the passer from defensive tackle in this scheme. Patterson dropped Felix Jones for no gain in the first; Chauncey Washington for a loss of 1 in the second; and Morris after a 2-yard run in the second. He pressured and hit McGee on a pass play in the fourth quarter and later forced McGee to scramble with pressure up the middle.
Trent Cole - In the fourth quarter, with under eight minutes left and the Eagles up 20-0, the Cowboys faced a 3rd-and-12. Cole made an inside move on Doug Free, but didn’t really get near McGee, who dumped the ball off to Washington. Keenan Clayton had a chance to make a tackle behind the line of scrimmage, but failed to do so. Jaiquawn Jarrett had a chance to bring Washington down short of the first-down marker, but couldn’t make the tackle. Fifteen yards downfield, it was Cole, hustling from 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage, who tackled Washington and forced him out of bounds. It’s the kind of effort he brings every time he’s on the field. Babin will get the offseason accolades, but Cole is finishing strong and has notched double-digit sacks for the fourth time in five seasons. He was an absolute beast in this one. Cole started off standing up and crushed McGee as he released an 11-yard completion to Dez Bryant. He and Babin pressured McGee, forcing him to dump it off to Morris short of a first down in the second. Cole later pressured McGee again, forcing him to dump it off to Morris in the second. And he got to the quarterback on a 3rd-and-13 in the second. Great read, great tackle by Cole, dropping Morris for a 9-yard loss on 3rd-and-1 in the second. Great hustle to bring down Morris downfield after an 8-yard gain in the third. He beat Free for his 10th sack of the season in the third. He forced McGee out of the pocket with pressure up the middle on a third down in the fourth. And he pressured McGee out of the pocket on fourth down in the fourth.
Juqua Parker - The veteran likely will be gone in 2012, but he’s finishing strong. Parker lined up at defensive tackle and looped around Babin to pressure McGee into an incompletion late in the second. He started at left defensive end, came inside on a stunt and sacked McGee on a third down in the third.
Derek Landri - He used a nice spin move to sack McGee in the fourth. Landri needs to be re-signed as part of the defensive tackle rotation for 2012.
Philip Hunt - Good game for Hunt. He pressured McGee from left defensive end and forced him to scramble in the second. He drew a holding penalty on Tyron Smith in the second. Hunt and Tapp pressured and hit McGee on a first-down play in the second. And he hit McGee again on a pass play in the fourth. It’ll be interesting to see how Hunt fits into the DE picture in 2012. Babin and Cole are the starters. It could be Hunt, Tapp and Brandon Graham fighting for two spots. Graham likely has the edge for one of them, assuming he’s healthy.
Darryl Tapp - He and Hunt hit McGee on a first-down play in the second. And Tapp dropped Morris for a 3-yard loss in the second. He’s been productive this season when healthy.
Jamar Chaney - Chaney was OK. He got blocked on Jones’ 10-yard run in the first and couldn’t make a play on Jones’ 8-yard run later in the quarter. Chaney tackled Morris after a 3-yard gain in the first. Ideally, the Eagles will upgrade at middle linebacker, and Chaney can serve as a versatile backup in 2012.
Brian Rolle - Good game for Rolle, who played in the base and some in the nickel. Nice read, nice hit on Morris, dropping him for a 5-yard loss on a screen in the second quarter. Rolle stuffed the fullback after a 1-yard gain on 2nd-and-2 in the third. He made a good break on the ball and nearly had an interception on a pass attempt to Jason Witten in the fourth. In the second, Rolle got blocked to the ground by Free on a 7-yard Morris run. He has to be considered the favorite to start at the WILL position in 2012.
Akeem Jordan - Jordan’s played pretty well the past two weeks. Good coverage, good hit on the fullback to force an incompletion in the first. Jordan tackled Morris after a 2-yard gain in the second, and he tripped up Morris for no gain in the third. Early on, Jordan was thrown to the ground by Martellus Bennett on Jones’ 6-yard run. He’ll have to fight for a roster spot in 2012 and is best suited for a backup/special teams role.
Casey Matthews - He’s put together back-to-back good games. Matthews blitzed up the middle in the second and got pressure on McGee. He made a good tackle on Morris, stopping him after a 6-yard completion on 3rd-and-25. Matthews tackled Morris after a 5-yard gain on a draw in the fourth. Good coverage on Witten on a fourth-quarter incompletion. He stuck with Witten again and tackled him after a 1-yard completion in the fourth. The mishaps? He slipped in coverage, allowing Bennett to get open for an 11-yard completion in the second. And he missed a tackle on Witten late in the fourth. Based on the past two games, it looks like he can be effective in a specialized role.
Keenan Clayton - Clayton played well also. He was the dime linebacker late in the second quarter and did a good job on Bennett. Clayton dropped Washington for a 2-yard loss after a catch in the fourth. And he had good coverage, helping to force an incompletion to Bennett in the fourth. Clayton had a chance to bring Washington down behind the line of scrimmage on a third down, but couldn’t make the play.
Nnamdi Asomugha - Strong game for Asomugha, who is still being used in a variety of ways. He spent part of the afternoon on Witten and shut him down. Asomugha had good coverage on Witten on the play where Romo got injured. He tripped up Bennett after a gain of 3 on a tight end screen in the first. He tackled Witten after a 6-yard gain on 3rd-and-15. Great coverage on Bryant on a second-quarter incompletion near the sidelines. Good coverage on Witten when the Eagles were in dime in the second. Asomugha tackled Morris in run support after a 3-yard gain. Good tackle on Bryant after a 5-yard completion in the fourth. He was beat by Bryant for a 9-yard gain on 4th-and-5 in the fourth. Asomugha lined up as a safety in the second, but whiffed on his tackle after McGee flipped the ball to Morris for a short gain. Overall, he played very well though.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - Pretty good game for Rodgers-Cromartie too, filling in for Asante Samuel at left cornerback. He tackled Jones after a 6-yard run in the first. Good coverage, good play to break up a pass for Bryant in the end zone in the second (the Cowboys were called for a holding penalty on the play). It looked like he got beat by Laurent Robinson on a deep ball in the third, but McGee made a bad throw. He lost Austin when McGee escaped the pocket and found the wide receiver for a 19-yard gain in the second. But that’s one of those plays where the Cowboys deserve credit for making something happen.
Joselio Hanson - Overall, Hanson played well in the slot. He dropped Austin for no gain on a wide receiver screen in the third and had good coverage on him on a third down in the fourth. Hanson broke up a pass intended for Austin in the end zone in the fourth. In the second, he got beat by Austin for 17 yards on 3rd-and-13 and again on the touchdown late in the fourth.
Brandon Hughes - He played about seven snaps by my count. Hughes was on the field in dime and got beat by Bryant for 11 yards on 3rd-and-5. He played left cornerback on one snap when Rodgers-Cromartie was out in the second. And he lined up at right cornerbaack when Asomugha was on Witten.
Curtis Marsh - He played one snap by count, on the second-to-last defensive play of the game.
Nate Allen - This had to be one of his best games of the year, which is a good sign looking ahead to 2012. Allen made a nice read and a nice hit on Jones to force an incompletion in the first. Good read, good hit on Morris, dropping him for no gain after a dumpoff by McGee in the second. He made a good hit on Austin on a third-down incompletion in the third. And Allen did a good job of helping Hanson on a third-down incompletion in the fourth. Allen did a good job in coverage on Witten in the end zone late in the fourth. And he broke up a pass intended for Bryant in the third. Very active throughout the game.
Kurt Coleman - He didn’t play in the second half because of an injury. In the second quarter, Coleman lost Bryant on a 14-yard completion. That’s really the only time I noticed him.
Jaiquawn Jarrett - He played the second half after Coleman left the game. Jarrett had a chance to bring down Washington short of the first down in the fourth, but missed the tackle. One of the biggest questions going forward is: Can Jarrett make enough offseason progress to be an effective, reliable starter in 2012? If not, the Eagles need to look to add a veteran.
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Biggest problem with this team is horrible drafts. Last 2 years netted nothing but a kicker— Ssteve115- @critias - That's my concern. I think the defense is playing well now, and I'd hate to get rid of Castillo just for the sake of change. Granted, it took too long, but he's identified what his players do best and he's using them to their strengths. He's incorporated some blitz concepts with the wide nine, which he's tightened up so only one DE is lining up wide on most plays. I know people are screaming for Spagnuolo, but switching systems again might make the Eagles defense worse before it gets better. Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.— kingsolomonsmind
- Castillo is garbage. Lets not look at the last few games against gutless teams mailing it in. When the season was on the line and the game was in the balance, his defense came up soft. How many leads did the defense surrender? That's what we need to remember, not beating a craptastic team like the dolphins who got THEIR coach fired. — xlGmanlx
- Good post and breakdown, as always, Sheil! A couple of thoughts... The Eagles last year identified what they needed to do in order to compete against the likes of the Saints and Packers: Rush the passer and cover their multiple-receiver sets. The 2011 offseason program was designed with those two specific, discrete goals in mind, and while we can all agree that the season was a 'failure', some of the objectives were met. They certainly brought in the personnel they thought could accomplish those tasks, but not a coordinator who could create a gameplan to match their strengths. Washburn/Babin were brought in to get the linemen to rush the passer, freeing the back-7 to cover receivers (which is why the LBs are small, fast guys, and not run-stuffers). I'm not saying that the defense was a success, just that some of the goals WERE, and that it's easy from this vantage point to see the whole picture. We always knew this was a defense built to operate with a lead given them by the offense, and not focused on stopping the run. The return of Landri and Dixon, a solid MLB and a talented safety should be their offseason goals, because they're very close... assuming that Castillo stays as DC. If it's Spagnuolo, then all bets are off!— critias
- Too bad the photo above is Rolle.....— IdahoMoose
- The only number that matters is 8 - 8 losses in the first 12 games - the season was OVER then - this little win streak means nothing - the Eagles are nothing - when the games truly matter they shrink - go back to last year - Game 15, at home, with a chance to get a bye and they lose to 4-10 Minnesota with a 3rd string QB, Joe Webb - WINS - the NFL is about wins - that's it -— BornOnTheWrongSide_of_PA
- Exactly, this is the reason Reid is still your coach next year. Too many folks get wrapped up in the numbers. We had more sack's this year and did WORSE than last year, so what does that tell you? That when it mattered, Babin came up small. Who else gets the blame when you choke 6+ 4th QTR leads? I'm not saying I don't appreciate him putting up numbers, but at 7-8, that is all they impact is his pro bowl check. How's that working out for the red zone #'s either? He gets BLOWN off the ball in goal line situations.
@UncleStosh - RE: strap em up - Sorry, was too busy enlisting in the Corps, NFL? probably not, superior to you? Probably, stay classy— xlGmanlx - we have a great defensive line, case closed. Praise more and criticize them less because you have no idea how hard it is to play in a real game people. Those sacks are legitimate and i would love a stat that has hurrying the passer just to add onto how much of an impact our dline has.— twistedmetalone
- What?????!!!!!!cole declining?hes an absolute beast.look at his hurries sacks and pressures plus hes elite at stopping the run.r u kidding me.most complete de in the nfc.— Illeagle
- Babin gets sacks but cannot defend the run...Samuel gets (although not that many this year) "picks" but often gets beat and is AFRAID to tackle. Not the type of players needed in a "sound" defense.— recGUY
- I appreciate Trent Cole. I also appreciate his cousin Norris Cole of the Miami Heat. His cousin looks like a beast!!!!!— reveugene
- All the problems on this D and you havetocomplain that Babin is overrated? That's the least of their problems. So they beat an unmotivated foulboy team with no Romo. They need 2 LBs & a safety. Not to mention a coordinator.— TongueWagger
- who is the last philly player with this many sacks ? some people are so negative and need to learn the game before they make stoopid quotes— positive eagle
- Trent Cole will decline beginning next year...be it age or injury..but his NFL shelf-life is coming up fast, 7th year, age 30 in Oct2012...Graham better be ready.— Romus
- Babin does what they want from him, but it would be nice if were not a liability in the run game. Truly great def ends play the run well too. In a nut shell, he is a really good pass rusher and not a great player. He is what he is— rustypop58
- Babin has easily lived up and exceeded his contract. Having him as a pure passrusher on one side and Cole as the 2 way guy is a great combo.— Sidewinder7
- Babin was brought here this year to do a specific job - harass the QB. He's done that very well.— Peter527
- Babin was brought here this year to do a specific job - harass the QB. He's done that very well.— Peter527
- Nice to see Brandon Graham contribute.........— zfaber
- Back in the 80s, the New York Jets had Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau. Gastineau got all of the pub because he had a lot of sacks, but nowadays there is serious talk about Joe Klecko going to the HOF because he was a great all around player. While they're not as good as the old guys, Babin and Cole are like Gastineau and Klecko respectively. Babin gets all of the press because of his sacks, but Cole is by far the better all around player.— mjc1
- I have faith in Nate Allen at the Safety position. His injury usually takes a year to heal and remember he got hurt last December. The fact that he played and the knee got stronger as it was healing is a great sign. We should still have drafted Earl Thomas instead of Graham who will be a bust, but the Allen pick will pay off, no doubt.— kwasi2323
- Am I the only one who thinks Babin is one of the most over rated players on the team? Does anyone else feel his sack totals are the most hollow numbers out there? He is an absolute liability in the run game, and smart OC's will just run at him to wear him down and force cole to purse. Babin is all about his stats, and they will use that to measure his signing as a success, if he was a beast, he wouldn't have moved around as much, garbage.— xlGmanlx
- 18 sacks can never be called hollow. Is he a complete HOF DE? No, but he his a great pass rusher that any team would be glad to have on their side. — UncleStosh
- Babin does what he was signed to do. If you can do better, suit up. The only garbage is your negativity. A strong MLB would fix whatever is lacking. — mannoman
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