Eagles defensive coordinator Todd Bowles discusses poor tackling, struggling defense
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Eagles defensive coordinator Todd Bowles discusses poor tackling, struggling defense
Zach Berman
The Eagles have clearly struggled tackling. But defensive coordinator Todd Bowles believe it can be fixed, and don't think the Eagles are a bad tackling game -- just a team that needs to refocus on the fundamentals in practice.
"I don't think it's bad tackling," Bowles said. "There are players who are going to miss tackles that are good tacklers, but there are some good players who just aren't good tacklers. You can fix that with fundamentals, you can fix that with attitude. Attitude is the main thing."
The Eagles have worked on tackling in practice this week, and not just the tackling circuit. They've also worked on open-field tackling. Whether it can be fixed at this point in the season remains to be seen.
"Attitude should be the same all the time," Bowles said. "You can have the right drive and mindset and miss a tackle. But you have to have body control, you have to have fundamentals, you have to be able to tackle."
The Eagles defense has not improved the way coach Andy Reid would have hoped since he fired Juan Castillo during the bye week and promoted Bowles. Bowles did not entertain the perception that the defense has become worse, but he he sounds like he understand that they'e not playing well.
"There are plays each game that we're not finishing, either in the first quarter or not finishing in the fourth quarter," Bowles said. "And we can't have the same mistakes creep up every week. We've got to rectify that."
They've got no swagger. One figures it will take several games for them to adjust to a new coach so I think it foolish for Andy to make a change in the middle of a loosing streak.— meteo30- Sounds like a high school coach....they should already know how to tackle.— Bob112
- They all have to get better according to Andy. Maybe they will by 2020.— BobSG
- WTF? They're working on tackling now? Isn't that what training camps, preseason and a half season of play are supposed to already have enforced?— LarsMendte2
- THEY GET PAID MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THEY CANT TACKLE! man i love our Eagles! I love Andy.F.Reid, I love MART.F.MORNINGPUK! Lots of love for everyone! THE COWBOYS IN A BLOWOUT 38-17!— puckdaddy
- Try, try and tray again Eagles. The fans and everybody else all over the world know that this team is not going to bounce back, not going to win one for Andy, not going to "man up", not going to open a can of whup ___....whatever. The Eagles are ot going to do anything except continue to lose and say "maybe next year" at the end of all of this with a new coach and Nick Foles in 2013. That's the only way for this whole season to end. It stinks being an Eagles fan!— Panthro2011
- Defense is usually what gets team back on the winning road, especially with four backup offensive linemen starting. It is partly about attitude. If you hold other teams to zero, chances of winning are pretty good.— armchairGM
- *face meet palm, palm meet face*— bhamss12
- What? You don't get it now after reading that explanation? They fixed it in practice. — COskier
- I thought it was all about them being predictable? Juan's defense was predictable, you knew it was going to be solid and not kill you. 12th in the league with an offense turning the ball over WAY more then anyone else is pretty good.— Sidewinder7
- The defense has been an issue ever since the death of JJ (God rest his soul). It is clear he was covering a deficiency for Reid all those years. Since then he's been grasping at straws - mostly with internal resources - and has come up empty. His atempts to resolve the issue only keep collectively making it worse. Even when we were iffy or bad we could take pride in a tough aggressive defense. This has turned into an absolute joke. Couple that with all the injuries on the OL (with no depth - and change in philosophy) and you have only one choice left...— bburgk11
- The new agreement between the union and league limiting hitting is the culprit and affects more teams than others. The coaching staff presumes they are professional players and senses they will tackle on their own but I have never seen more missed tackles in the 55 years I have been watching the Eagles. These guys are looking to avoid contact or the pain that might come with wrapping people up. Bambi legged runners are running right through their tackles. Whimps is what they have become, over paid, whimps.— Lou Christine
- Somebody please get that Little Bill looking dude Outta here!— DeathPenalty94
- Master Yoda Bowles says "Tackling it is....fundamentals it is...., attitide it is...". I feel better already.— Bobphxville
- "But defensive coordinator Todd Bowles believe it can be fixed, and don't think the Eagles are a bad tackling game --."
Is it just me or is that poor grammar?
— NC Eagle - Relatively speaking the eagles suck. But i do think the point on the new rules is accurate as well. I really think this concussion stuff will be the end of football. It will take sometime but the comercials, poor play, lack of hitting, slowly starts to ruin the game. When i was a kid i went to the games with my dad. No one brings kids to the eagles games, wonder how many of them watch at home and what it will look like in 20 years. I just dont find it as interesting as it used to be. But maybe a few first downs and a defensive stop would change my mind. Or if someone would slap babin upside the head that would be fun to watch. Maybe a halftime relay race contest with our wide receivers vs their wide recievers and the winner gets a field goal. How about vick at half time throwing fresbies to dogs, remember when they used to have that guy with his dog at half time. That was fun..— JL68
- Nice club you built there, Andy. Coaches, players. Offense, defense, special teams. All bases are covered.— COskier
