The bye week is a time for self scouting in the NFL. It is a time to correct the mistakes, not glorify the positive moments. So for Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and his staff, and for offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and his staff, and for Andy Reid at the very top of the coaching food chain, these days are critical to evaluate.
What is McDermott learning about his defense? Much more than I can tell you, that's for sure. I see a defense that has had some promising moments, that for two games has looked awesome and that for one game was a step too slow in coverage and a pinch less disruptive in the running game. I see a defense that has depth and talent along the front four, that has a really good secondary and that has youth and ability and, yes, question marks, at all three linebacker positions.
I see a defense that faces a schedule that looks like this: Tampa Bay, which runs the ball pretty well; Oakland, which at its best has a very strong running game; Washington, an offense that is struggling mightily but always seems to give the Eagles fits. I see powerful running offenses in New York and Dallas. I see an Eagles defense that is looking for any way to improve, and so after an extensive up-close-and-personal series of workouts with Jeremiah Trotter, the Eagles made the move to sign him.
And he's here. And he is going to play.
That much, I am sure. The way I see it, if a team tries to pound the ball on the Eagles, Trotter is going to play a lot of snaps. If a team tries to spread out the defense and force the linebackers into coverage, Omar Gaither will see the majority of the snaps at middle linebacker.
And along the way, McDermott is going to see what he has at all three linebacker positions. He is going to use all of his personnel, including Tracy White and Moise Fokou and even Joe Mays, should Mays find his way to the active roster on game days. Counting the numbers, I find it difficult to believe the Eagles will dress seven linebackers.
The defense hasn't gained its identity to this point. Replacing Stewart Bradley has not been an easy thing, as we all knew at the time when he was injured. McDermott and the coaching staff spent their work days during this week at the NovaCare Complex critically analyzing the defense, checking tendencies and hoping they pinpointed mistakes that can corrected.
The blessing of the bye week is that it gives an offense that gives several key veterans a week to rest and recover, and when the Eagles resume practice on Monday the hope is that quarterback Donovan McNabb, running back Brian Westbrook and wide receiver Kevin Curtis are on the field and health enough to play and play well the following Sunday against Tampa Bay.
For the defense, the bye week gives the players a breather and the coaches a chance to find ways to improve. Trotter, who should aid in run support with a 262-pound body that is going to play "downhill" and crash the line of scrimmage, is one step. There are many others to make before this defense finds itself.
McDermott knows the deal. He doesn't say much during interviews -- he is far advanced and very skilled in that phase of his job -- but he is incredibly driven and honest in his critique of his defense.
"Whatever we can do to help this defense is what we're going to do," he says, and you believe him.
We won't know the true identity of the defense until it makes its way through the gauntlet of NFC East opponents -- Washington, New York and Dallas -- and even then, well, another difficult stretch of games waits. McDermott wants the Eagles to be an aggressive, intelligent team. He wants his players to do things the right way. That loss to New Orleans is far more vexing to McDermott than the combination of the thrill of the two victories.
Coaches remember the mistakes and the bad times. That is what the bye week means to them. Find weaknesses. Think as an opposing coach would think. How will that offense attack my defense?
Then go and do something about the problems. Reid and his staff and the track record here after the bye week speaks for itself. The Eagles are perfect after the bye week. What they need to do is get on a roll and stay there, and they need the defense to find itself along the way.
