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Eagles' Kendricks, defense works in progress

Mychal Kendricks sees progress in the Eagles' defense, even if it's hard for outsiders to see.

Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks. (Ron Cortes/Staff Photographer)
Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks. (Ron Cortes/Staff Photographer)Read more

THE EAGLES NEED the Mychal Kendricks they had Opening Night at Washington, the guy who made 10 tackles and forced a fumble in the team's only victory thus far.

Kendricks insisted yesterday they still have that fellow, heading into Sunday's visit with the Giants, despite a flurry of missed tackles and not-so-instinctive reactions in the Birds' three successive September losses.

"San Diego was a tough one. The Chiefs, I missed some tackles but I was there, I was trying to get it. I definitely made the ball cut back into our other guys. Denver, man. You wish you could have a couple plays back," Kendricks said. "I was in 'man' a lot of the time, they ran [to the other side]."

Kendricks, an inside linebacker, cites the adjustments everyone is making to a new scheme and coordinator, and insists he sees progress, which is a hard sell the week after a 52-20 loss.

"It's part of having faith," Kendricks said, when asked how one would measure such progress. "The evidence isn't there, but from me being - I'm an insider looking out, you guys are outsiders looking in - yeah, we're getting better."

"This is our first year" in the defense, Kendricks said. "As many things as we're putting in and the way we're grasping the concepts, we're getting better every day, without a doubt."

Coming into the season, Eagles coach Chip Kelly identified Kendricks and defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, both second-year players, as younger guys he wanted to see emerge as defensive leaders. In both cases, it's evident there is work yet to be done. Kelly spoke this week about Cox showing flashes of dominance, but he identified the other defensive end, Cedric Thornton, as the guy who has made the best adjustment to the Eagles' 3-4. Kelly said that Kendricks "thinks a little bit too much and doesn't let himself go play, just kind of pull the trigger and go.

"Obviously, everybody is aware of his athletic ability as he continues to grow and figure out exactly what we're doing schemewise and things like that. I think you'll continue to see him get better and better, because he does have that athletic ability."

Kendricks and the linebacking corps have been part of the Eagles' problems with underneath pass coverage, it isn't only the befuddled safeties who get beat. Pro Football Focus had Peyton Manning 17-for-17 against the safeties and linebackers last Sunday, for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

"They are OK. They are not outstanding right now," Kelly said yesterday, when asked about his linebackers in coverage. "I think there's some times where it's a mental mistake or two where we've dropped a guy in coverage, and I think those are some things where some big plays occurred in the Broncos game.

"I think they're getting better. It's like everything else, everything offensively and [on] special teams is all new to these guys, so there's not a lot of experience for them to draw back on . . . in terms of how they're working and what they're doing on a daily basis, we see improvement in them, but I think we need to be better there."

What's so different for Kendricks in this scheme?

"I'm making calls," he said. "You've got to know your spacing, know your leverage. Know who's outside you, know where your help is . . . we're allowed to do more things with this defense in terms of scheming, rocking and rolling."

Kendricks said he has worked to refine his zone pass coverage.

Defensive coordinator Bill Davis said that with Kendricks and other Eagles, he works on proper footwork to get in position to tackle, so they aren't arm-tackling. Pro Football Focus has Kendricks with eight missed tackles, tied for most in the league among inside linebackers. (Of course, Pro Football Focus, whose graders are just people who use the site, with no particular expertise, has Kendricks as the worst inside linebacker in the league overall, and former Eagle Akeem Jordan, now with the Chiefs, as the third-best. People familiar with Akeem's work over the years might question that assessment.)

Kendricks said it isn't that he can't get there to tackle correctly, it's that he overpursues:

"I just need to wrap up. I'm getting there so fast, I just want to obliterate 'em instead of just breaking down and making a sound tackle. Sometimes it's just me getting overexcited and anxious, I'm trying to get that, 'Ooh, ahh' instead of a straight tackle that would keep us in position. The effort's there, without a doubt. I know y'all can see that.

"It's part of being disciplined. When a guy's back is turned toward you and the ball's not there yet, and you're driving, like, 'I'm gonna smack the blank outta him.' He sees you barely, and he just stops, and you go" flying past, Kendricks said.

Overall, the Eagles' defense is looking to rebuild some confidence and stature against the Giants. They face yet another of the league's better quarterbacks in Eli Manning, but the Giants' offense ranks 23rd in the NFL; an aging, injury-riddled line hasn't been able to give Manning time to make the downfield throws offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride likes. As bad as the Eagles have been defensively, they haven't been beaten deep all that much. And the Giants' running game has been horrendous.

Blog: ph.ly/Eagletarian