Philadelphia Eagles Run Defense Vaults to Top of NFL Rankings

The Philadelphia Eagles run defense was tied for 16th in the league last year, but is now at No. 1 after holding the Miami Dolphins to just 45 yards in a 31-17 win

PHILADELPHIA – The locker room at Lincoln Financial Field was nearly deserted with most of the Philadelphia Eagles having already vanished into the early hours of Monday morning along with many of the reporters who had been going from stall to stall to record the players' thoughts after dispatching the Miami Dolphins, 31-17 to reach 6-1 on Sunday night. 

Lane Johnson was still sitting on a stool putting on his shoes, when SI.com Eagles Today caught up with him. In this quiet moment, the right tackle was asked about the run defense and how special it’s been.

Johnson would know. He had spent the month of August blocking his defensive line teammates in training camp.

His response to the question was simple: “Have you ever tried to block Jordan Davis?”

No nuance there.

Davis is the man-mountain teams are having a hard time blocking this season. Even when double-teamed, the 6-6, 340-pound anchor is hard to budge. Johnson joked that Davis is so big he could take up three gaps.

He was kidding. Or was he? Probably.

The Eagles held the Miami Dolphins to 45 yards rushing. They had averaged 181 yards per game on the ground to rank No. 1 in the NFL in rushing offense before being suffocated. Miami had minus-seven rushing yards at halftime.

And now, Philly owns the league’s top-ranked run defense, allowing just 62.9 yards per game. Last year, this unit finished tied for 16th as a run-stopping group.

The Eagles' Univesity of Georgia connection from left to right: Jordan Davis (90), Jalen Carter (98), and Nolan Smith (3) :: Dan Shrensky/SI Fan Nation Eagles Today

There’s more than just Davis at work here, though he has clearly taken a big step up from his rookie season into his second year.

Look at Haason Reddick against the Dolphins. Known for his ability to sack the quarterback, Reddick didn’t have one but his impact in the run game was noticeable, making four tackles.

“Haas, I mean, everybody wants to talk about the sacks and everything, but I mean, to get two TFLs (tackles for loss) in the first two possessions versus that run game is pretty dynamic, and he was able to set that tone early, and it was with his physicalness,” said first-year defensive coordinator Sean Desai on Tuesday.

There is certainly more nuance than just personnel such as Davis, Reddick, Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Kentavius Street, and grizzled veteran Fletcher Cox. 

Desai provided some of that nuance while, of course, crediting defensive line coach Tracy Rocker and defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Jeremiah Washburn.

“Our players are making this come to life and our front coaches with (Rocker and Washburn) really have a point of emphasis there,” Desai said. “They talk about every week of you’ve got to earn the right to rush the passer. The way to earn the right is to knock the run out.

“That's a core philosophy of what they believe in, what I believe in, what we believe in as a defense and as a staff and as players. They take a lot of pride in that.”

The Eagles talked about making the Dolphins one-dimensional by taking away their running attack and making them win by throwing, and that’s when the Eagles vaunted pass rush takes over. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa couldn’t notch a win without a running game and was sacked four times.

The only team to put up more than 100 yards rushing against Philly this season is the Washington Commanders, who will host the Eagles on Sunday at FedEx Field (1 p.m.).

Washington ran for 107 yards as a team in the Eagles 34-31 overtime win in Week 4, with Brian Robinson leading the way with just 45. Quarterback Sam Howell was a big reason for Washington topping 100 with 40 yards on six scrambles.

In addition to the Commanders’ and Dolphins’ rushing totals, here are what the Eagles' other five opponents have done on the ground this season:

New England Patriots - 76

Minnesota Vikings - 28

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 41

Los Angeles Rams - 54

New York Jets - 89

“I think our coaches and players have done a good job in their preparation,” Desai said. “I think we spend a lot of time here on Monday and Tuesday really trying to - we call it the story tape. 

'Figuring out what story we want to tell our players of what we think the offense is going to do. What are they doing on tape, and what do they think they're going to do to us based on the style of football that we play?

“So, we build that and send that message to the players, and the players buy into it. Then at the end of the day, I mean, it's those guys executing. It's the players executing on the field. I'm on the sideline just trying to stay warm, you know what I'm saying?”

Makes sense. Desai stays warm while his run defense catches fire.