Tag: Nickell Robey-Coleman

5 bold predictions for the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3

5 bold predictions for the Eagles vs. Bengals in Week 3

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The Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals both entered the 2020 NFL season on different franchise trajectories, yet both organizations sit at 0-2 and looking for their first win of the season on Sunday.

Cincinnati is a 4.5-point underdog in this road matchup, but the Eagles’ inability to close out leads or play above the competition should make this a close ballgame. With the Eagles in need of some huge performances, here are 5 bold predictions for Sunday.

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Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cre’von LeBlanc reacts during an NFL football practice, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, Pool)

1. Cre’Von LeBlanc will play more snaps than Nickell Robey-Coleman

During last weeks’ 37-19 loss to the Rams, Robey-Coleman logged 42 snaps to LeBlanc’s 3 snaps. That number should change and will change with the Eagles needing a spark in the secondary. Through 2 weeks, Robey-Coleman has allowed 9 completions on 9 targets, for 102 yards, 8 first downs, and one touchdown, with a passer rating against him of 150.9.

With Tyler Boyd coming to town, LeBlanc should see more snaps.

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Jim Schwartz takes the blame for the Eagles defensive debacle vs. the Rams

Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz takes the blame for the Eagles performance vs. the Rams

Jim Schwartz is taking the fall for his players and on Tuesday the Eagles defensive coordinator took fault for putting too much on Philadelphia defenders during their massive collapse in the 37-19 loss to the LA Rams.

Talking to the local media on Tuesday, Schwartz echoed Rodney McLeod’s comments that the Eagles defensive attack was easy for the Rams to gameplan for.

Schwartz took fault for attempting to make the scheme easier for Eagles defenders, with the intent being on them reading and reacting. Instead, Eagles defenders were left confused and out of position.

Schwarts took the blame on Tuesday.

“Well, what happened on the field was I had a poor game plan.

We had a very simple game plan. You guys know that the Rams use a lot of tempos out of their huddle, and a lot of different motions, and things like that, and, the whole sort of theme was to make it as simple as we could — we’ve had success with that in the past. But, in an effort to do that, I also created a lot of conflict with what the guys were doing, and it gave them a lot of stuff to look at. And what I though would make it easier, didn’t make it easier, it made it harder.”

Schwartz went onto say that there wouldn’t be any personnel changes and the Eagles gameplan going forward would be much more complex.

Eagles’ CB Nickell Robey-Coleman eyeing matchup with Rams’ WR Cooper Kupp

Nickell Robey-Coleman looking forward to facing Cooper Kupp

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During every NFL game, there are unique one on one matchups hidden inside the actual matchups going on between the two teams. During Sunday’s home opener against the Los Angeles Rams, one key matchup to watch will take place in the slot, where one of the NFL’s top cover guys (Nickell Robey-Coleman) will face off against one of the league’s really talented slot wide receivers (Cooper Kupp).

Robey-Coleman knows his former teammate all too well after spending three seasons with the Rams and he told the media on Wednesday, that he’s looking forward to the high profile matchup.

“I’m excited to play against my old team,” Robey-Coleman told reporters Wednesday. “For the guys over there, there’s big love. There’s a lot of love. I’m just sharing all the information that I can remember from being in L.A. I’m telling Rod right now that if you see this, then this could possibly happen. (Darius) Slay and I are talking and being upbeat about how (Sean) McVay uses his offense and how the guys work around Jared to get open and things like that. So far, so good.”

Robey-Coleman called Kupp a “strong” route runner who can finish his routes and accelerate with the best of them.

As the Eagles slot cornerback, Robey-Coleman will matchup with Cupp a lot, while Jim Schwartz could toss in a wrinkle or two with Darius Slay as well.

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Nickell Robey-Coleman is telling Eagles everything he knows about Rams

The former Rams cornerback isn’t holding back secrets.

The Rams made a bunch of surprising moves this offseason, none more shocking than the release and trade of Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks, respectively. But their decision to decline Nickell Robey-Coleman’s option and allow him to hit free agency was certainly unexpected.

Robey-Coleman predictably latched on with a new team quickly, signing with the Eagles just days after his release from the Rams. On Sunday, he’ll have a chance to show L.A. what it’s missing by letting him go as his Eagles will take on Sean McVay’s Rams.

Don’t expect Robey-Coleman to be tight-lipped about the Rams’ secrets like Eric Weddle was with the Ravens’ after he joined L.A. last season. He’s an open book for his new teammates, telling them everything they need to know about McVay’s scheme.

“I’m excited to play against my old team,” Robey-Coleman said Wednesday, via NJ.com. “For the guys over there, there’s big love. There’s a lot of love. I’m just sharing all the information that I can remember from being in L.A. I’m telling Rod right now that if you see this, then this could possibly happen. (Darius) Slay and I are talking and being upbeat about how McVay uses his offense and how the guys work around Jared (Goff) to get open and things like that. So far, so good.”

One of the aspects that makes McVay’s offense so difficult to stop is how he makes everything look the same. A run play will look the same as a pass before the snap, with everything from pre-snap motion to play-action fakes.

Robey-Coleman saw a lot of that during his time with the Rams in practice, so he knows better than anyone in Philadelphia how to sift through the smoke and mirrors.

“It’s all window dressing,” Robey-Coleman said, via Heavy.com. “He does it over the course of four quarters and everything starts to look alike, and so you just have to stay focused on your keys and pay attention to your guy … all the motions and all the movement and everything, you can kind of get through that after a while, and that’s about it. He keeps everything real aligned, as far as first down, second down, third down … everything kind of looks alike.”

Robey-Coleman will be an important part of the Eagles defense in this one, considering how often they’ll be forced to use their nickel packages to counter the Rams’ 11 personnel usage. Expect to see him on the field a lot Sunday.

Eagles’ Darius Slay, Nickell Robey-Coleman make PFF’s list of the NFL’s top 25 CB’s for the 2020 NFL season

Eagles’ Darius Slay, Nickell Robey-Coleman make PFF’s list of the NFL’s top 25 CB’s for the 2020 NFL season

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The Philadelphia Eagles enter the 2020 NFL season with a revamped secondary after watching opposing teams scorch Jim Schwartz’s secondary at will over the past two seasons.

Ronald Darby moved on and Jalen Mills switched positions, allowing the Eagles to acquire Darius Slay and sign Nickell Robey-Coleman in free agency.

Both players should allow Schwartz to gameplan accordingly and both players enter the 2020 NFL season with the respect of their peers and analysts alike. Pro Football Focus just released their list of the top-25 cornerbacks ahead of this season, with both Darius Slay (#11) and Robey-Coleman (#18) among the list.

11. DARIUS SLAY, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Darius Slay is primed for a bounceback season in 2020. No team played more man coverage than the Detroit Lions, which matched Slay up against some of the best receivers in the game on a regular basis. Slay wasn’t torched by that group, but he consistently found himself coming up on the losing side of targets over the season. In a more protective system, Slay can get back to just being a playmaker in coverage. Over the past three seasons, only Gilmore has more than the 50 forced incompletions that Slay has tallied, and last year marked the first season in five that he didn’t have double-digit pass breakups.

18. NICKELL ROBEY-COLEMAN, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Nickell Robey-Coleman has been one of the best slot corners in the league since he arrived in the NFL, and that has never been more valuable. Only Desmond King has a higher PFF grade than him over the past three seasons, and Robey-Coleman has slightly better coverage numbers. He has allowed the fewest yards per catch of any cornerback playing primarily in the slot over the past three seasons and has surrendered one of the lowest completion percentages. He should be a huge boost to the Philadelphia Eagles this season.

Robey-Coleman is the game-changer in the secondary and his versatility should allow the Eagles to move both him and Slay around based on matchups.

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Ex-Saints wide receiver Tommylee Lewis joins Teddy Bridgewater in Carolina

The Panthers signed ex-New Orleans Saints WR Tommylee Lewis after a free agent tryout, reuniting him with Teddy Bridgewater and Joe Brady.

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Another former member of the New Orleans Saints has gone turncoat and joined the Carolina Panthers. ESPN’s Field Yates reported that wide receiver Tommylee Lewis signed with the Panthers after going through a free agent workout on Saturday, reuniting him with one-time Saints assistant Joe Brady and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

The Panthers have padded out their roster with castoffs and other Saints players, including practice squad wideout Keith Kirkwood and starting cornerback Eli Apple. If the Panthers can’t beat the Saints, then, well, they’re doing their best to become them. Brady is rebuilding the Panthers receiving corps from the ground up as offensive coordinator to first-year head coach Matt Rhule, so Lewis has as good a shot at earning playing time as anyone.

Lewis passed on an opportunity with the upstart XFL earlier this year to return to the Saints, having been drafted highly by the Dallas Renegades but instead opting to sign a reserve/futures contract with New Orleans for the 2020 season. But Lewis ended up placing among ten roster cuts to open Saints training camp when the team was forced to thin its roster down to 80 players from 90 per the NFL’s new COVID-19 rules and protocols.

Listed at just 5-foot-7 and 168 pounds, the 27-year old Lewis did more work on special teams than offense with the Saints from 2016 to 2018. Including the playoffs, he appeared in 38 games, returning 41 punts for 360 yards and 24 kicks for 528 return yards. When he did take the field with the Saints offense, he caught 20 of 29 passes for 252 receiving yards, scoring two touchdowns, and logged 8 rushing attempts for another 31 yards.

His only target in the postseason is the most infamous of his career, having been blatantly fouled with both pass interference and a helmet-to-helmet hit by Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman in the 2018 NFC Championship Game. But the NFL’s “all-star” postseason officiating crew decided it was clean, and the Rams were helped into Super Bowl LIII, which they lost 13-3. Maybe Lewis should have sold the illegal hit better?

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Eagles likely to play more man-to-man coverage in the secondary thanks to key additions

Eagles to play more pressure man-to-man defense with CB’s in 2020

A once vulnerable unit for the Philadelphia Eagles could become the strength of the team by seasons end if everything works out for Jim Schwartz.

A secondary that was reduced to playing a ton of zone coverage over the past two seasons will now give Jim Schwartz the option to unleash 60-minutes of hell on opposing offenses that face the Philadelphia Eagles this season.

Schwartz has Darius Slay at cornerback, Nickell Robey-Coleman and Cre’Von LeBlanc in the slot, with several different options to man the cornerback spot opposite Slay. A unit that was much-maligned last season could be deeper and more versatile after moving Avonte Maddox to the outside and Jalen Mills from cornerback to safety.

The pandemic will make the transition challenging, but as The Inquirer reported, the Eagles could return to the times of Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, and Brian Dawkins.

“That’s definitely an easier transition,” Robey-Coleman said Monday during a video news conference. “That’s up my alley. I love man-to-man. I love getting in people’s faces, putting hands on [them].

“That’s definitely going to be one of the [hallmarks] of this defense, is getting in people’s face and actually covering them and letting the D-line do what they do best, and that’s getting after the quarterback.”

If the Eagles can pair a consistent and volatile pass rush with Slay’s ability to flourish in man-to-man coverage, Philadelphia could end up being the most balanced team on both sides of the ball in the entire NFC.

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Jim Schwartz must find a role for Cre’Von LeBlanc in a crowded Philadelphia Eagles secondary

Jim Schwartz must find a role for Cre’Von LeBlanc in Eagles secondary

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In one offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles have gone from a team lacking talent in the secondary to an organization now possibly having too much talent in key positions.

In the offseason, the Eagles traded for Darius Slay, moved Jalen Mills to safety, moved Avonte Maddox to outside cornerback, signed Nickell Robey-Coleman in free agency and drafted Clemson star, K’Von Wallace.

What that means for guys like Rasul Douglas and Sidney Jones remains to be seen, but another familiar name could become the odd man out in a secondary that needs his attitude and cocky persona.

Cre’Von LeBlanc has grown into the guy known as ‘Strap Ent’ around the NovaCare Complex and his presence in the Eagles secondary shouldn’t be taken for granted.

With Nickell Robey-Coleman likely to start in the slot, it’ll key for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to not leave LeBlanc stranded on the bench in a reserve role, and instead carve out a role for the physical cornerback on the Eagles new hybrid-versatile secondary.

A smart, physical player who constantly makes plays, LeBlanc utilizes his scrappy demeanor to make up for what he might lack in name recognition.

LeBlanc injured his foot during training camp last summer and was placed on injured reserve for the first half of the 2019 season. On the first day of training camp in 2019, he injured his foot, which would send him to IR. LeBlanc returned for the Eagles 4-game jaunt towards a division title and started in the Eagles must-win matchup in the season finale.

The Eagles could move Robey-Coleman around, allowing him to play on the outside for spells that would free up LeBlanc in the slot. Against powerful passing teams like the Cardinals, Saints or Cowboys, Schwartz could utilize a lineup of his best cover guys, allowing Slay, Robey-Coleman, Maddox, LeBlanc, and Mills or McLeod to all be on the field when things matter most.

Jim Schwartz has the horses, now he needs to build a gameplan that’ll properly use them all.

Nickell Robey-Coleman explains why he turned down more money from other teams to sign with the Eagles

Nickell Robey-Coleman turned down more money to sign with the Eagles

The Eagles added two integral pieces to the secondary when they traded for Darius Slay and signed Will Parks as a free agent.

That would have been considered a decent haul all by itself, but the Eagles may have won the offseason when they added former slot-cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman. Known more recently for his non-pass interference call in the NFC title game against the Saints, Robey-Coleman has the honor of being one of the top slot guys in all of the NFL.

During a Monday morning zoom call with the local media, Robey-Coleman admitted that he was offered more money but other teams, but signed the deal with Philly because they sounded more interested and did their due diligence on his playing style.

“The Eagles kind of came out of nowhere. They sounded more interested in me than any other team.”

Robey-Coleman signed a one-year deal worth $1.35 million with the Eagles because he appreciated Howie Roseman’s sell’s pitch.

“I went with that rather than being paid or anything like that. I went with them because they believed in me and they liked my skills,” Robey-Coleman stated. “It was like a no brainer in coming to Philly because of how much emotion they put into getting me to sign here and how they treated me after that … it was all love, they welcomed me with open arms and I felt like an Eagle immediately.”

Robey-Coleman’s versatility should allow Jim Schwartz to flip flop Darius Slay based on matchups with Slay likely to see time in the slot as Robey-Coleman slides outside when needed.

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Nickell Robey-Coleman confirms he’ll play some outside CB for the Eagles

Nickell Robey-Coleman to play some outside CB for the Eagles

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Darius Slay was acquired by the Eagles to be a shutdown cornerback who’ll likely travel with the opposing team’s best wide receiver.

To do such a thing, the Eagles will need to lean on the other cornerbacks on the roster, who’ll have to be versatile and comfortable switching sides of the field opposite Slay or even sliding outside if Darius is forced to slide down into the slot.

The Eagles’ concerns were alleviated after the team signed Nickell Robey-Coleman to a deal. The man known for being one of the NFL’s top slot cover guys will give Jim Schwartz options that he’s never had in Philadelphia.

Even though Robey-Coleman is expected to compete with Cre’Von LeBlanc for the nickel cornerback spot, the Eagles could also utilize the versatility in their new hybrid secondary to flip-flop Robey-Coleman or even play him on the outside opposite of Slay or when Slay slides to the slot.

Robey-Coleman confirmed he was comfortable with the role.

“Slay is going to be an important intricate of the defense from the secondary standpoint and when you got guys like Rodney [McLeod] and you got [Jalen] Mills, it makes me feel very comfortable to play on the outside or on the inside,” Robey-Coleman said. “So to know that I have great safeties in the game, it allows me to play aggressive and knowing that I can trust them on the backend.”

The Eagles will need to get LeBlanc on the field and sliding Robey-Coleman outside at time gives the Eagles the best opportunity to put their best players on the field.