Through the first five games of the season, the Eagles defense was allowing opponents to score touchdowns on 60 percent of their trips inside the red zone. In 20 opportunities, the opposition punched the ball into the end zone 12 times. As the Eagles defense as a whole has improved, so has the performance in the red zone.
Over the last five games, opponents have scored only five touchdowns in 14 red zone trips. That's a 35.7 percent success rate. On Sunday, the Packers failed to score a touchdown on each of their four red zone trips (though they did score a touchdown from 22 yards out).
"Bend but don't break, man," said safety Patrick Chung. "When we get down there, you just have to build a wall. We take pride in that. If they even get there, we want zero, but keeping them to three is good."
So what has changed for the Eagles in the second half of the season?
"I think we've simplified it and the guys understand it," said defensive coordinator Bill Davis. "We're not calling a whole lot of different calls down there and the players really understand it and they're executing at a high level down in the red zone. It's the players."
"We're just all-in together," said linebacker DeMeco Ryans. "It takes all of us collectively as a group. That's what good defense is about. It's a group. It's not about one individual guy. Our group collectively is playing really well."
