The latest on Vic Fangio's endless search for a cornerback who can actually play
The latest on Vic Fangio's endless search for a cornerback who can actually play originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Kelee Ringo got benched for Adoree Jackson. Then Adoree Jackson got benched for Kelee Ringo. Then Kelee Ringo got benched for Adoree Jackson.
Notice a pattern?
Now Quinyon Mitchell is dealing with a hamstring injury and could miss the Eagles-Vikings game Sunday.
What happens then?
You guys know who we got," Vic Fangio said with an air of resignation.
Yikes.
What if Mitchell is able to play? Which benched corner will be out there with him?
You know, right now, probably it would be Adoree'," he said. The way we were going to do it in the (Giants) game, then Q went down (and) we played them both."
In other words, the Eagles are out of options at cornerback and unless Mitchell is able to play, the Eagles will have to cover Justin Jefferson and Co. with two guys who have been major disappointments and have been benched at least once.
This weekend, the Eagles will get a look at one of their former corners, Isaiah Rodgers, who is now a starter with the Vikings and playing very well. The Eagles tried to re-sign him, but he elected to sign with the Vikings. Roseman did acquire Jakorian Bennett from the Raiders in August, and he got some corner snaps the first three weeks but is currently on IR with a pectoral injury and can't return until the second Giants game a week from Sunday.
What next?
One option might be Mac McWilliams, the rookie 5th-round pick. McWilliams was largely an outside corner at Central Florida but focused on the slot when he arrived here.
Considering the Eagles' desperate straits right now at outside corner, Could McWilliams be a viable option outside? He's only 5-foot-10, he's a rookie and he hasn't played any defensive snaps yet this year (and only 13 on special teams).
But Fangio said McWilliams has started to get some work at outside corner, which tells you just how urgent the need is to fix that CB2 spot ... which becomes CB1 if Mitchell can't play.
Potentially could get involved," Fangio said of McWilliams Tuesday.
We've been trying to focus him at one point on learning the nickel spot to be the backup nickel. Then we shifted our focus to try and get him more in the (outside) corner and be a viable option if we had issues out there. So it's kind of been going back and forth."
How's he doing outside?
Doing OK."
Fangio addressed a couple specific breakdowns from Jackson and Ringo in the Eagles' gruesome loss to the Giants Thursday.
Asked about Jackson's weak attempt at tackling Cam Skattebo at the goal-line on a short touchdown run in the third quarter - his second of three TD runs - Fangio said: You've got to sell out because you're not trying to let him fall forward. Because every inch is valuable down there. So he's just got to sell out and try and go get the guy down."
And about Ringo, he said, He just got beat down the field."
The cornerback issues are compounded by the fact that the Eagles are having similar issues at edge. It's hard to cover without pressure. And it's hard to pressure without coverage.
Right now the Eagles aren't doing either very well, and it's one of the big reasons they've lost their last two games to fall to 4-2.
The last two weeks the Eagles have been picked apart by two relatively inexperienced quarterbacks - 25-year-old Bo Nix of the Broncos in his second season and 22-year-old Giants rookie Jaxson Dart.
Last time the Eagles lost back-to-back games against quarterbacks in their first or second season was late in 2012 - the last month of Andy Reid's coaching tenure here - when they lost to Andy Dalton and Robert Griffin III.
And they're just a few days away from facing a Hall of Fame receiver.
Well, we've got to settle in and find somebody out there that we can rely on," Fangio said. And I think we have the guys that can do that. We just got to get them playing better."