Adjustments On Menu For Eagles Rookie In Round 2 Vs. Terry McLaurin

The last time the Commanders' top receiver played the Eagles, he turned invisible.

Dec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (27) walks out of the tunnel for action against the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – Terry McLaurin was rendered an invisible man the last time the Eagles played the Commanders on Nov. 14. The Washington receiver came into the game with two 100-plus receiving yards in two of his previous three games.

Then poof…he vanished. He was introduced to an Eagles defense that is stingy in allowing passing yards. It leads the league in giving up the fewest, currently allowing just 173.4 per game. McLaurin also had his first encounter with Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. McLaurin was targeted twice and had one catch for 10 yards.

You know he will seek revenge when the Commanders host the Eagles on Sunday, and since being freed from Mitchell’s manacles, he has become visible again. The six-year veteran has five touchdowns in the Commanders’ three games since that loss.

Can Mitchell and the Eagles make him invisible again?

Mitchell mentioned he only played the same receiver twice in the same game once while at Toledo. It came during the regular season with a rematch in the MAC Championship Game. Toledo played in two title games while Mitchell was there – against Ohio and Miami of Ohio.

He said one of the keys to success a second time around is lots of film study and giving the receiver a different look than the first time.

“Watching the old tape from the last game and seeing what you kind of did good and seeing what you need to clean up and where they might attack, stuff like that,” he said about how he is preparing for McLaurin this week. “Then, seeing these last couple games what they’ve been doing with him.”

He said that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio gets credit for giving McLaurin different looks, and that will be the case again on Sunday. Of course, McLaurin will be working on his different looks, too.

“Yeah, he’s a pro, a vet, Pro Bowler,” said Mitchell. “Everybody’s gonna make adjustments. I’ll make adjustments myself, seeing what I do well and what I need to get better at.”

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