Michael Carter is waiting in the wings, waiting to jump into the slot in case the Eagles decide to move Cooper DeJean full-time to the outside cornerback. Standing in the way of that switch could very well be Adoree Jackson.
The Eagles have tried to find somebody better than the veteran cornerback. They thought Kelee Ringo could be the starting cornerback in his third season opposite Quinyon Mitchell, but Jackson proved better.
General manager Howie Roseman made two trades in that quest, but the August deal to acquire Jakorian Bennett didn’t work out, though getting hurt and landing on IR didn’t help, and the November deal for Jaire Alexander was a bust when he stepped away from the game to focus on his health after being here for just seven days.
So, it was appropriate the way Vic Fangio described Jackson during his Thursday news conference before practice.
“He’s a survivor,” said the defensive coordinator. “This is his ninth year. If you survive that long, you gotta have a little something in you. Hopefully, he can take that game (against the Packers), build on it, and keep playing good.”
Jackson played 56 defensive snaps against Green Bay in a 10-7 win on Monday night, which was 82 percent of the defense’s snaps. He was credited with three tackles and one pass defended. His playing time was one less snap than his season-high of 57 against the Giants in a 34-17 loss on Oct. 9.
“Just doing my job,” said Jackson when asked how he assessed his play vs. the Packers. “That’s how I feel I did, just go out and do my job, do what’s required, and that’s it.”
It’s been sort of up and down for Jackson this season, and there is still the thought that putting Cooper DeJean on the outside full time, especially with Carter around now after being acquired on Nov. 3 from the New York Jets, would make this defense better.
DeJean plays outside in the Eagles’ base defense and moves to the slot in nickel packages. Fangio has always been hesitant to move DeJean away from that slot role.
Carter might change that thinking.
“Possibly,” was all Fangio said.
When asked about Carter, he said: “He’s a good nickel. That’s his best position, and he’s learning the nuances of our defense. Different for him compared to Jaelan (Phillips). Everything’s totally new for him, plus there’s more to learn. I like him. If we need another nickel, he’s going in.”
It may be more “when” than “if” at this point, though Jackson could have somethung to say about that.
The Denver Broncos are 8-2, but after their close 10-7 win over the lowly Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night Football in Week 10, there has been some pushback on the Broncos’ record and contender status.
One of the main subjects of criticism has been Broncos’ second-year quarterback Bo Nix. He’s had his ups and downs in his NFL career, but lately, he’s struggled a bit more than usual.
Those struggles led Super Bowl Champion cornerback Asante Samuel, whose son just signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, to blast Nix on Twitter/X. Samuel doesn’t understand why people (fans, media, etc.) believe in Nix.
“Please don’t tell me anyone believes in Bo Nix.” Samuel posted. “He isn’t like that!”
Nix has gone through his fair share of struggles, but for a former NFL player, one who still has connections to the NFL, to blast Nix like this is surprising.
The 25-year-old quarterback has been inconsistent this season. He’s had incredible comebacks, the wild wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, but has also had poor performances surrounding those comebacks.
Against the Raiders, he went 16 for 28 for 150 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. It’s the fourth straight game for Nix with at least one turnover.
He has 2,126 passing yards and 18 touchdowns on the year, but his eight interceptions are not great, especially with four coming in the last three weeks.
With his latest game coming in primetime, his struggles were brought to the center stage. While Nix isn’t the worst quarterback in the league, he does have some struggles he needs to get over.
His 60.9 completion percentage is nearly six percent worse than it was in his rookie season. He’s slightly worse in most categories this season.
But there’s still one reason to be optimistic in Nix and believe in him, unlike Samuel. Nix is great at avoiding sacks, with a league-leading 2.78 sack percentage.
Samuel’s blasting of Nix is just another hater of Nix. He’s faced plenty of boo’s, including from his own fanbase, and if he doesn’t turn things around, those boo’s and criticism will continue.
But Denver is 8-2, and a Week 11 win over the Kansas City Chiefs would be a great way to deny his haters. Samuel might not believe in Nix, but there’s reason to believe the second-year quarterback can prove him wrong.