As head coach Dan Quinn reviewed the tape from Sunday's loss, a positive he noticed was the low number of yards after catch his defensive backs allowed. The Eagles are a "quick-throw" team, Quinn explained Monday, and limiting explosive gains — especially when playing zone coverage — was key throughout the matchup.
One of the main reasons Philadelphia's YAC figure was so low was the performance of Jalen Collins. A starter in Week 10 because of Desmond Truant's injury, Collins played in 78 of 79 defensive snaps, according to NFL Game Stats and Information, and in the 39 reps he spent in coverage, the second-year corner allowed just four catches for 38 yards.
"For (Trufant) to be out and him to step in into that spot, we thought he had a real solid game, made some plays on the ball," Quinn said about Collins. "I thought he was tackling physically, and so for us, he kind of performed like we expected him to.
"He used his length and used his speed. If you had to have a play back it was probably one of the ones inside when he was playing in the slot when he didn't get his hands on the guy earlier. But as far as his performance, playing the whole game, we were pleased with him."
While the Eagles' running backs did plenty of damage on the ground, Carson Wentz was held in check for most of the afternoon. The rookie quarterback completed 25 of 36 passes for 231 yards — an average of 6.4 yards per throw — and zero touchdowns, earning a 63.8 quarterback rating in the process.
Combined, Philly's wideouts tallied 80 receiving yards — a testament to the work of Collins and Robert Alford.
"I feel like myself and the DBs as a whole, we limited the yards after catch. Even if it was a catch, we were there to make the play," Collins said. "I thought I played decent. Definitely could have been better in some areas. I felt I tackled well. I gave up two passes early, but after that, I guess it was a pretty solid performance."
On an individual level, Collins believes he has found his stride after being suspended for the first four games of 2016. Now, with a chance to help Atlanta earn a playoff berth, he's focused on improving two parts of his game.
"Just technique and consistency," Collins said. "We work really hard on communication and our alignments and our adjustments. Just got to keep working and continue to try to stay consistent."
