Eagles defense takes a step forward

Throughout the preseason, the Eagles defense appeared as if it would be the team's liability this season. In Monday's 33-27 win over the Washington Redskins, it suddenly appeared to be a competent, capable unit.

If it seemed to happen overnight, it's understandable. Redskins receiver Pierre Garcon admitted after the game that the Eagles defense surprised Washington, showing unfamiliar looks, and that the Redskins weren't prepared to attack.

"We opened up the playbook," Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin said. "It's just different [from the preseason]. Last night counted. There's a different seriousness. A different preparation that goes into the game. It showed."

The Eagles forced three turnovers, recorded three sacks, and kept the Redskins to 2 of 10 on third downs. They are further along in the transition from a wide-nine scheme to the 3-4 than they appeared to be in the preseason.

Defensive coordinator Bill Davis said that the game plan was based on stopping the run. The Redskins finished with just 74 rushing yards, and were forced to go to the pass because of the lead the Eagles built.

The emphasis on stopping the run was one of the reasons the Eagles deactivated Vinny Curry, whose best skill is as a pass rusher. There could be little skepticism about the decision because the defense was sound.

"I wasn't surprised because the players took what we practiced and took it to the field in this game and showed up," Davis said. "They executed the plan, and they took the techniques to the game."

This is not to go overboard with the defense's performance. The unit allowed 20 points and 382 yards. But seven of those points came when the Redskins had a short field, and as much as the offense helped the defense throughout the first three quarters, it left the defense on the field too often in the fourth quarter.

Coach Chip Kelly also acknowledged that the Redskins' offense was going to counterpunch at some point, admitting that it couldn't be bottled up for the whole game.

Still, the dynamic plays of the defense were especially noteworthy. The Eagles tied for an NFL-low 13 takeaways last season and averaged fewer than two sacks per game. There was a vitality in Monday's game that was missing from last season's listless unit.

It was also a departure from the preseason, when the Eagles forced four turnovers and had just three sacks from starters. Even Davis admitted last week that Monday's game would be an indication of where his defense is in its development. After the game, he called it "a good starting point."

The Eagles received strong production from second-year players Fletcher Cox and Mychal Kendricks, but that was expected. The most encouraging sign was the play of outside linebacker Trent Cole and cornerback Cary Williams, who are both compensated as key contributors but did not appear that way in training camp and the preseason.

Cole had a forced fumble and two quarterback hits, and appeared to adjust well to outside linebacker in the 3-4. Cole said Tuesday that he now prefers playing outside linebacker because he's already in "position to attack" in the two-point stance.

Williams, who was too often embroiled in controversy during the offseason, played like the No. 1 cornerback the Eagles yearned for when they signed him to a three-year, $17 million contract. He finished with an interception, a sack, and two passes defended, and did not let Garcon beat him deep. It was how Williams assured us he would play when he insisted he'll be at his best come game day.

"I just think when the bright lights come up, you know who's going to come up," Williams said. "I've played some big games in my career, and I know the importance of taking the proper steps in practice to prepare for a game."

Now that the playbook has been opened, other teams will have a better sense of what the Eagles can do. Cole said the Eagles defenders must make Monday's game their worst game of the season, even if their improvement was already a major development.

"I think our defense is still growing and we've said that since day one when we got here," Kelly said. "We've played one full game. I was pleased again with our effort. We still made some mistakes. But I think each day you see our defense getting better and better and better."