Eagles defensive star calls game against Jaguars

PHILADELPHIA – The genesis of the Eagles’ 28-23 victory over Jacksonville on Sunday began taking root at Lincoln Financial Field in early August.

That’s when Nakobe Dean’s skills in space were tested by the wily Kenny Gainwell during Philadelphia’s only open practice this summer.

Those who were there saw Gainwell pull off an Allen Iverson-esque crossover move on Dean before the RB and good friend Jalen Hurts doubled up with a stutter-and-so wheel route that caught Dean flat-footed.

Dean did what you’re supposed to do with practice and learned from the setbacks.

Fast forward to Sunday and Doug Pederson took his chance for an unlikely victory after being down 22-0, putting the ball in the hands of Trevor Lawrence and D’Ernest Johnson against Dean in space with the Jags on the 13 -yard line of the Eagles.

To be honest it was a good bet.

Lawrence’s throw was off target, overturned and too far in for Johnson, who struggled to track the poorly thrown football. Dean, on the other hand, was there, emphasizing the football as if he were the attacking player essentially leaving the game using a victory formation.

“It was good that everyone came up to me and congratulated me. It was good to call game, Dean said, “I mean I didn’t do much else that game, I don’t know how many tackles I had that game.”

It certainly wasn’t a typical Dean game, a player who usually goes downhill in handfuls and has a problem in space. He finished with just two assisted tackles, but had two pass breakups and the INT.

“Other guys on defense had big games. I know Zack (Baun) went crazy, Coop (Cooper DeJean) another big fourth and shortstop,” Dean said.” So, you know, a lot of guys were flying around on defense and we made a lot of plays. .”

Dean and Baun teamed up for a turnover in the Week 8 win at Cincinnati and decided to keep all the turnovers in the linebacker room, so that’s where Dean’s game winner will reside.

Dean, the quarterback and green dot of the Eagles’ defense, was aware that Jacksonville could attack him at that moment.

“It’s a play I knew they were making,” Dean said. “They have good backs who can run good routes. I know Saquon (Barkley) scored on it early in the game, a play that looked a little like the backfield, a stutter and go. I got beat on it in training camp against Kenny Gainwell.

“I had already seen it a bit. I remember it from college, I got hit on it a few times in practice too. So I was kind of waiting for it. It was an opportune moment, it was a high red zone. They read it right and I just had to make a play.

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