Roob’s Obs: Putting Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into context

Roob’s Obs: Putting Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into context originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Can you imagine a time when there’s a Roob’s 10 Random Eagles Observations every day?

That would be 70 observations per week, 3,650 obs per year and 365,000 each century.

You never know what the future holds!

For now, we’ll put Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean’s performance into perspective, we’ll take a look at one of the greatest plays in Eagles-Washington history and one Eagle who’s been a little disappointing so far.

And lots more.

1. It’s not easy to put into words just how rare it is for a team – especially a good team, a playoff contender – to start two rookie defensive backs. The Eagles have only had one rookie defensive back who was a full-time starter in the last 25 years – that was Nate Allen in 2010 and he was a functional safety but hardly a special player like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Before that you go back to Wes Hopkins in 1983, Eric Allen in 1988, Bobby Taylor in 1995 and Dawk in 1996. But two? At the same time? Joe Lavender and Randy Logan were both rookie starters in 1973, and they both became very good players but that was a 5-8-1 team that ranked 25^th out of 26 teams in defense. Only 12 playoff teams in NFL history have had two full-time starting rookie defensive backs – just four since 1986. Most recently, the Saints went 11-5 in 2017 with Marcus Williams and Marshon Lattimore – who’s now with Washington. The others since 1986 are the 2003 Seahawks (Ken Hamlin, Marcus Trufant), 2010 Chiefs (Eric Berry, Kendrick Lewis) and 2016 Giants (Andrew Adams, Eli Apple). But the 2003 Seahawks ranked 27^th of 32 teams in pass defense, the 2010 Chiefs ranked 17^th, the 2016 Giants ranked 23^rd and the 2017 Saints 15^th. The last playoff team with two rookie starters in the secondary with a top-10 defense? That would be the 1964 Chargers with rookie starters Kenny Graham, a safety, and Jimmy Warren, a cornerback. That team, coached by future Eagles quarterbacks coach Sid Gillman, went 8-5-1 and won the AFL West Division (the AFL’s records were all absorbed by the NFL with the merger). That team was ranked 9^th out of 22 teams in pass defense. That was 60 years ago. The Eagles currently have the No. 2 pass defense in the NFL with Mitchell and DeJean both playing huge roles. What we’re seeing is special and it’s rare and it’s unique and it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

2A. C.J. Gardner-Johnson has eight interceptions in 21 games as an Eagle. That’s the most by any player in his first 21 games as an Eagle since John Sanders had 10 and Herm Edwards nine in the late 1970s.

2B. It’s been five years since a player drafted by the Eagles had more than one interception in a season for the Eagles. In 2019, both Nate Gerry and Sidney Jones had two.

2C. The last player the Eagles drafted in the first round with an interception was defensive tackle Mike Patterson, who picked off Eli Manning at the Linc in 2008.

3. After 14 consecutive games without winning the turnover battle – the 9^th-longest streak in NFL history – the Eagles have been plus-2, plus-2 and plus-3 the last three weeks – tying the longest streak of consecutive games at plus-2 or better in franchise history. Last time they were plus-2 three weeks in a row was late in the 2013 season. The Eagles have 10 takeaways in their last three games after recording 12 takeaways in their previous 21 games. Totally insane. Incredible how quickly things can turn.

4. The Eagles haven’t allowed a touchdown longer than four yards during their five-game winning streak. It’s the first time in franchise history they’ve gone five straight games without allowing a TD of at least five yards.

5. Last time the Eagles and Washington both had a winning record in the same season was 1996. Washington has had seven winning seasons since – 1997, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2015 and 2016 – and the Eagles didn’t have a winning record any of those years. Since 1995, the only years they’ve both had losing records are 1998 and 2020. Last time they both made the playoffs was 1992.

6. One of the greatest plays in the 91-year Eagles-Washington rivalry came late in the 1992 season. Both teams were 9-5 going into a late-season showdown at the Vet, and whoever won would clinch a postseason berth. Washington led 13-7 at halftime, but the Eagles took a 17-13 lead on Randall Cunningham’s touchdown pass to Calvin Williams and a short Roger Ruzek field goal with 3 ½ minutes left. Washington began its next drive – its final drive – at their own 10-yard line needing to go 90 yards for a game-winning touchdown. Mark Rypien converted a 4^th-and-10 on the Eagles’ 20-yard-line with a 15-yard completion to Ricky Ervins with 21 seconds left and then – out of timeouts – spiked the ball on 1^st down to stop the clock at 0:02. Washington, which would clinch a playoff berth with a win, had one shot at a game-winning touchdown and Rypien spotted Gary Clark with rookie corner Mark McMillian covering in the end zone and fired. But Eric Allen, who was covering Ricky Sanders on the play, had studied so much film he knew exactly what Rypien was thinking. With Reggie White bearing down on Rypien, Allen left his man, Lunged and knocked the ball away as time expired. That was vintage Eric Allen – an incredible physical play that was the product of endless preparation. “It was a perfect throw, it was coming right at my chest. It was the kind you catch almost with your eyes closed. But Eric just got a hand on it and made a great play.” Allen should be a Hall of Famer and that play demonstrates why: “If you play them long enough, you kind of understand what they’re going to do,” he said. “When they get in that situation, you know they’re going to try to get it to 84. As soon as I see that 84, I know the ball is coming. I just tried to stick my hand out.”

7. I’ll keep saying it, but Howie Roseman has to get to work getting Zack Baun signed because this dude’s price is skyrocketing. Baun is earning all of $1.6 million this year, not that far above minimum wage for his experience level – $1.125 million. The way he’s playing? The conversation needs to start around $15 million per year. Heck, Bryce Huff is making $17 million per year, and he’s the Eagles’ highest-paid defensive player. Baun should be. We all know Roseman doesn’t give linebackers big contracts, but he never gave running backs big contracts either and last we checked he broke that rule. That’s worked out pretty well. Baun has been the Eagles’ best defensive player and he’s having an all-pro season. Let’s go, Howie. The Eagles simply can’t lose him.

8. I don’t think Cam Jurgens has been bad by any means, and nobody expected him to play up to the level of his predecessor, but I do think his performance has been a little disappointing. Of 32 centers who’ve played at least 300 snaps, his 63.7 Pro Football Focus grade ranks 16^th, so middle of the pack (and lowest by far among all Eagles offensive starters). His pass blocking grade in particular is fairly low – 56.2 ranks 26^th of those 32. For the sake of comparison, Jordan Mailata is at 88.4, Lane Johnson 83.7, Mekhi Becton 74.5 and Landon Dickerson 73.0. The last two weeks, Jurgens has ranked 22^nd and 30^th among starting centers. Jurgens has been dealing with a wrist injury so maybe that’s part of it. And PFF grades aren’t the be-all-end-all. But the eye test – especially on the tush push – is pretty clear that he hasn’t been the force in the middle the Eagles were hoping for. Jurgens is in his first NFL season as a center, so even though he played there in college it’s still a new position for him as a pro. He’s a hard worker, strong as an ox and a good athlete. He’s just got to put it all together and raise his level a bit so the Eagles don’t have any weak links along the o-line.

9. Jalen Hurts has 41 career wins, tied for 12^th-most ever by a quarterback before his 27^th birthday. Because he doesn’t turn 27 until next summer, he has eight more chances to move up on that list. Peyton Manning and Jared Goff won 42, Matt Ryan 43, Joe Flacco 44 and Cam Newton 45. So if the Eagles go 4-4 or better the rest of the season, Hurts will have the 7^th-most wins by a QB before his 27^th birthday.

10. Seven years after catching the game-winning touchdown in the Eagles’ only Super Bowl win, Zach Ertz is having a strong season in his first year in Washington. Ertz, who turned 34 on Sunday has 37 catches for 381 yards and ranks eighth in the NFL in receptions by a tight end and ninth in yards. He’s on pace for his best season since 2021, when he was traded midseason from the Eagles to the Cards. Ertz, whose 116 catches in 2018 remains the NFL record for a tight end in a season, is now up to sixth all-time among tight ends with 746 catches. Ertz is the 2^nd-oldest starting tight end, running back or receiver in the league, behind only 35-year-old Travis Kelce. Ertz caught six passes for 48 yards for the Cards in 2022 against the Eagles at the Linc. What about the 4^th-down catch against Pittsburgh Sunday? Sure looked like he had the first down, but all I know is that when he had to, Ertz converted the most important fourth down in Eagles history.

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