Talking Turnovers: Eagles Star CB Says You Have 'To Earn The Right'

Six-time Pro Bowl CB Darius Slay says the turnovers will come if the defense generates more difficult situations for the offense.

Darius Slay trying to rep the football from Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) . / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - There's been a lot to like about the Eagles' defense recently even with the context of lighter post-bye week competition with the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants.

Things reached a concerning state when Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay had their way with Vic Fangio's coverage schemes during a 33-16 victory at Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 29.

Veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio used the self-scout to make some personnel tweaks, most notably getting some youth and athleticism more involved with rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean taking over the slot duties, second-year edge rusher Nolan Smith getting some extra work on base downs to better set the edge in run support, and second-year defensive tackle Moro Ojomo being allowed to unleash his movement skills more in obvious passing situations.

Coming out of the bye the Eagles' defense allowed nine points against Cleveland (the other seven were the result of a blocked field goal), and just three points against the Giants. Things will get tougher this Sunday with the far more explosive Cincinnati Bengals, who have one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL in Joe Burrow.

However you slice it, eight quarters -- and it's nine dating back to garbage time in Tampa -- without giving up a TD in the modern NFL is impressive.

There is still room for improvement, though, and the one area that hasn't clicked is turnovers. Fangio's defense has ascended to No. 9 overall in defense, 14th against the run, 10th against the pass, and seventh in points allowed. It's now sixth in third-down defense and second in red-zone defense.

Those are championship-level numbers if complemented by an explosive offense, albeit in a still somewhat smaller sample buoyed by the weaker opponents on the Eagles' schedule.

One thing that hasn't clicked at any point is the turnovers. The Eagles are 28th in the NFL with a minus-six turnover differential and have just two Reed Blankenship interceptions through their 4-2 start.

Philadelphia Eagles On SI sought veteran cornerback Darius Slay to discuss the topic. The six-time Pro Bowl selection has a history of taking the football away in his 12 seasons with 32 turnovers on his resume, 28 interceptions, and four fumble recoveries.

A team captain, Slay pointed toward "earning the right" to turn the football over by generating more opportunities.

Situations are the key to unlocking what can be a random event at times. A quarterback has too many avenues to use in second- or third-and-manageable situations so it becomes much more difficult to generate opportunities to take the football away.

"Situation. It makes it difficult," Slay told Eagles on SI. "So like we get them in third-and-long with situations where we can see the quarterback. That's how you know, you get the sacks and the interceptions."

The defensive front is peppered with a similar sentiment and has picked things up with 13 sacks over the past two games.

"You know now our biggest saying right now is we tell the D-Line 'hey, earn the right to rush.' So that means stop the run, make it second-and-long. Now you get to rush. Now you get to earn the right," Slay said.

It's the complementary nature of football and the coupling of rush and cover, cover and rush DCs like Fangio constantly preach.

"Now, we make it third-and-long, now we get our turn to get vision on the ball," said Slay. "You see the ball clear you know what I'm saying? So that's the goal. That's how we complement each other.

"Everybody gotta earn his right to get turnovers so however you want to do it. That calls for team defense. Team defense gotta do that."

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