Depleted defense? How can you tell?

Despite losing numerous starters to injury and free agency, the Eagles are playing better than last season.

By DARRELL FRY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 18, 2002

Often one of the league's best, the Eagles defense has faced nothing except adversity from the start of the season. It had to adjust to losing two starters to free agency and has been ravished by injuries, most notably to three starters on the defensive line.

Five games into its season, the Eagles defense hasn't performed close to the level it did a season ago.

It has done better.

The Eagles, ranked seventh in the NFL in total defense last season, are third heading into Sunday's weighty clash with the Bucs at Veterans Stadium, another testament to a unit that remains one of the league's finest.

"They're nasty, man," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said. "That's all I can tell you. They do a good job and they're nasty."

They have been a unit in constant flux, but still have managed to flourish from week to week in defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's attacking scheme. Through free agency, the Eagles lost middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter to the Redskins and outside linebacker Mike Caldwell to the Bears, two of the team's best run defenders.

But newcomers Shawn Barber and Levon Kirkland have not only played well but done so much faster than expected. Barber is second on the team in tackles with 32 and Kirkland has combined with part-time starter Barry Gardner for 42 tackles.

The rash of injuries seemingly hasn't fazed the Eagles defense, either. Not when starting defensive tackle Hollis Thomas was lost for the season with a foot injury in training camp. Not when defensive end Derrick Burgess was sidelined in the season opener with an injured foot. And not when the other starting tackle, Corey Simon, went down in Week 3 with a bad ankle.

Backup tackle Darwin Walker has manned Thomas' spot, and Paul Grasmanis and N.D. Kalu have replaced Simon and Burgess, respectively.

Walker has 22 tackles and quickly has become the team's biggest playmaker. He has been nearly as disruptive as Pro Bowl defensive end Hugh Douglas in passing situations, registering 31/2 sacks, plus three tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

While the three have little experience as starters, each has been with the team for at least two seasons and has gotten playing time because Johnson regularly rotates personnel.

"There's a great scheme and a great coordinator," said Eagles coach Andy Reid, who should have Simon back Sunday. "And there are players stepping up and playing. It's a credit to the scouting department for the great job they've done in bringing guys in who can play."

The fine play of the backups allows the Eagles to maintain Johnson's aggressive defensive scheme of constant blitzing from various angles, which has produced 16 sacks.

The Eagles are allowing 15.8 points a game, the ninth-best average in the league, and 264 yards, third best in the league.

In all fairness, the Eagles defense has been helped by the offense, which has averaged 33 points and put up early leads, forcing opponents into more passing situations.

Still, the defense has unquestionably made its mark, especially by forcing turnovers. The unit has caused a league-high eight fumbles and picked off six passes, giving it 14 turnovers, third most in the league. More importantly, those turnovers have led to 40 points.

"We're just trying to hold the fort until we start getting some guys back," Douglas said. "It's a tough situation. Everybody's playing a lot of snaps and even the guys who are healthy are beat up."

The Bucs have been throttled by the Eagles in the past two playoffs, getting just 12 points on all field goals.

"The thing is, they've played together, like our defense, for five or six years under the same system, same coordinator," Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson said. "I mean, you know they're coming after you. You just have to deal with it."