By virtue of surviving the fourth quarter against the Redskins Sunday and steadily improving on defense over the last seven games, the Eagles will play meaningful football in December. Image courtesy: DelawareOnline.com
It's been awhile since the last truly meaningful game the Philadelphia Eagles played in the month of December.
DeSean Jackson's game culminating punt return for a touchdown against the New York Giants on December 19th 2010 sealed a 38-31 victory that also was the last win for the last playoff team to stroll the hallways of One Novacare Way.
This season, though, Chip Kelly's first venture as an NFL head coach has the Birds in prime position at 6-5 entering the crucible of December to control their own destiny in the NFC East.
Much of the credit deservedly should be heaped on Kelly's ability to adapt and adjust in his first NFL season and the historic efforts of quarterback Nick Foles in four of his five starts. However, flying there just below the radar is the remarkable resurgence of a defense under coordinator Billy Davis Jr that while undergoing a complete overhaul is hitting it's stride at exactly the right time.
Including Sunday's 24-16 victory over the division rival Washington Redskins Davis' troops have allowed just 17.4 points per game since the low-point of this team's season, a 52-20 loss to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
The Eagles defense is the sixth rated unit in the league over that span.
"When you talk about the points," Davis told reporters Tuesday. "The statistics can go 100,000 different ways and points are the points. that's what determines the wins and losses."
As if the numbers and results are not impressive enough, the fact that this team is doing it in the midst of a systematic overhaul across the board from a 4-3 front to a 3-4, with much of the same personnel that allowed 32 points per game a year ago is nothing short of remarkable.
Beyond the numbers, though, week after week there is tangible improvement on the defensive side of the ball especially out of young players such as Fletcher Cox, Mychal Kendricks, Najee Goode, Earl Wolff and Cedric Thornton. But not to be lost is the rapid advancement seen out of Trent Cole over the past month.
Davis says though, this isn't yet a finished product.
"I really like where we are in our progress," Davis pointed out. "We are moving. But when you look at it through our eyes there are so many areas where we can get better in –where we have to get better in– but if you asked me early on if I'd take where we are with the points I'd say yes.
"I don't think vindicated is the word I use. I like where we are but we are so far away from a finish line and so far away from where we want to be and it's a collective effort from the players and coaches. We just want to put our heads down and keep working to get a little bit better against the Arizona Cardinals and keep getting better from there."
Arizona is just the first of five tests to close out the season which will see the Eagles square off with opponents who own a combined record of 25-25.
Playing meaningful games in December is one thing.
Doing so with a defense that is showing the ability to carry through tough times and survive adversity, as seen by slamming the door on a Redskins fourth quarter comeback effort Sunday, is another.
Right now the Eagles have the rather unexpected luxury of both of those things.
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
