Longtime college football head coach Urban Meyer detailed how impressed he was with the Philadelphia Eagles defensive unit in Super Bowl 59. While appearing on ‘The Triple Option’ podcast alongside Mark Ingram II and Rob Stone, Meyer outlined how strong the Eagles played against what he called “the best quarterback in the game right now”.
Meyer was the longtime coach of the Florida Gators and Ohio State Buckeyes and won three National Championships, three Big Ten Championships, and two SEC Championships while at the college level. He then transitioned to the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was fired after only thirteen games in a disappointing and controversial season with the organization. He is now in a media role with various different outlets.
What Did Urban Meyer Say About the Eagles Defensive Unit?
Meyer outlined how the Eagles were able to dominate the line of scrimmage without blitzing one time in the game, something that caused Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs run game problems all day long.
“I’ve never seen Patrick Mahomes under so much duress and every time he did get out of the pocket, he’s one of the best ever to do it, they caught him.
Vic Fangio, the defensive coordinator, one of the most respected dudes out there. He takes the defense that was 26th in the NFL to numeral uno and I think Mark or Rob or someone said that’s the biggest transition from a bad defense to the best in NFL history… 42 dropbacks, zero pressures against the best quarterback in the game right now,” Meyer stated.
The Eagles thoroughly dominated the Chiefs from start to finish in Super Bowl 59. At one point, the Eagles were leading 34-0 in the third quarter of the game. Furthermore, the defensive unit only gave up one first down in the entire first half of the contest.
Mahomes, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, looked flustered and under pressure all night, despite the Eagles not blitzing one time. The Eagles front four dominated an offensive line that does feature three top players in Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, and Trey Smith. Defensively, the Eagles had six sacks as well as two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by cornerback Cooper DeJean on his 22nd birthday.