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The Philadelphia Eagles’ acquisition of Jaelan Phillips prior to the NFL trade deadline could prove to be a season-defining move, particularly if he continues to play as well as he did in Philly’s 10-7 Monday Night win over the Green Bay Packers. Phillips thrived under Vic Fangio in Miami, and promptly tore it up Monday Night, playing nearly 80% of the team’s defensive snaps in his debut. PFF has him finishing with eight total pressures on the night (two QB hits and six hurries), and he’ll surely start moving forward. It’s fair to say the most vulnerable member of the Eagles room now that Phillips is aboard is Josh Uche. The Eagles signed the 26-year-old edge rusher to a one-year, $1.92 million deal in March but a far better option in Phillips has now arrived, and that changes things. Now that Nolan Smith has returned from injured reserve, Uche’s role could diminish quickly. Eagles Edge Josh Uche ‘Odd Man Out’ in Philadelphia’s DE’s Room After Jaelen Phillips Signing “The Eagles’ defense took 68 snaps against the Packers on Monday night. Josh Uche didn’t get a single one, and that’s a surprise, because he had been playing reasonably well, and Vic Fangio didn’t get him a single snap,” Sports Illustrated’s Ed Kracz wrote on November 11. “Instead, the defensive coordinator is trying to make Jihaad Campbell an edge rusher – in the middle of the season, just to get the rookie on the field. It’s hard to blame him. Campbell will be here long term, Uche is probably one-and-done here.” In addition to Phillips, Smith, and late-summer free agent addition Jalyx Hunt, the Eagles also recently made room on the roster for the late-season return of franchise stalwart Brandon Graham. That’s already four bodies for two starting edge spots. Uche will probably have to step up or watch his opportunity shrink now that Phillips and Graham are in the building. “For now, Uche looks like the odd man out,” Kracz added. “The fewest snaps he took this season were 16 in Week 2. That could change, though. Fangio is expected to meet with reporters, along with Kevin Patullo and Michael Clay, on Thursday as the Eagles begin their quick turnaround to host the Lions on Sunday night.” This doesn’t mean Uche was a failed signing by any means — he’ll likely be the odd man out not because he can’t rush, but because the Eagles have found someone they trust to do more. A Closer Look at Philly’s Dominant Defense vs. Green Bay Against the Packers, The Eagles defense had one of the more structurally dominant performances the unit has shown all season. The Packers were held to just 74 yards on 21 carries (3.5 yards per attempt) and managed only 176 passing yards from Jordan Love in the 10-7 loss. Phillips made an undeniable difference. In 36 pass-rush snaps, he had 19.4 % pressure rate and also had a hand in a critical fourth-and-1 stop late in the game. “Obviously you guys saw it. I felt like he was very disruptive,” Eagles head coachNick Sirianni said after the win at Lambeau. “We did a good job of rushing as a unit. That fourth-down play I think signifies the kind of physicality that the man has. I just think about his week of practice and how he goes about his business. He runs full volume. He loves working. You can just see it, the way he was running around at practice. His motor is constantly running, just pushing to get better. So obviously it was a really big impact that he made tonight for his first game as an Eagle.” If that impact continues, it’ll be a very good thing for Philly.
