Eagles rookie Coleman: Won't get fooled again
KURT COLEMAN had played, as he recalls, fewer than 10 snaps this season as a rookie safety in the Eagles' defense when he lined up against Washington in the second quarter of a 17-12 home loss, Oct. 3. The Birds already trailed, 14-3. The defense really needed a stop, on third-and-15 from the Redskins' 27.
KURT COLEMAN had played, as he recalls, fewer than 10 snaps this season as a rookie safety in the Eagles' defense when he lined up against Washington in the second quarter of a 17-12 home loss, Oct. 3. The Birds already trailed, 14-3. The defense really needed a stop, on third-and-15 from the Redskins' 27.
It didn't get one. Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb hit Anthony Armstrong for 57 yards - nearly half the Redskins' total of 125 passing yards for the day - setting up a chip-shot field goal for a 17-3 lead.
"It was a good play by Donovan," Coleman said yesterday. "They had Santana [Moss] in the slot and Anthony Armstong on the outside. He pump-faked to Santana running a post and threw it deep. He did a good job of holding me off and being able to hit the over-the-top coverage. I don't see that [happening] again, to myself."
Coleman has added considerably to his store of experience since that game. He is scheduled to start for the first time Monday night, when the Eagles visit the Redskins, in place of a fellow rookie, free safety Nate Allen, who is sidelined with a neck strain. Coleman filled in capably after Allen went down in the second quarter last week against the Colts.
Coordinator Sean McDermott lauded the growth of his young defense yesterday, and offered that Coleman has "done a good job."
"Just like the other players on this defense, young or old, nothing fazes them," McDermott said. "I love that about this group. No matter what the challenge is at hand, those guys, they go at it head on. In terms of Kurt's biggest challenge this week, I would just say 'Monday Night Football.' It's his first start and then on 'Monday Night Football.' I think he's up for it and I know his teammates trust him."
"As far as getting too excited, it's just not going to happen," said Coleman, a seventh-round draftee out of Ohio State. "I'm going to stay low-key and just go about my business."
Coleman said his top priority would be to "don't give up anything over my head . . . My job as the free safety is to keep everything in front of me and make the plays that come my way, not give up any touchdowns."
Allen said he has offered Coleman some advice, but not that much: "Kurt, he's got it under control. He's a smart guy. He's been watching a lot of tape."
Though Coleman technically will be the free safety, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Birds actually played him up closer to the line and shaded vet Quintin Mikell more into the deeper role. The Eagles' safeties often talk about being interchangeable.
"He's doing good. He's a young guy, but he's very mature, very professional," Mikell said. "I think he'll surprise people with his play. The main thing about him is he's just got to be more comfortable in himself and in his own abilities. A lot of that just comes with experience."
Mikell said Coleman "has gotten tons better" since McNabb burned him deep. "Him being in the game from the beginning will help that kind of stuff."
The main benefits of experience are obvious, but there are some subtle ones, as well.
"At first, like, I didn't know how [corner] Asante [Samuel] wanted me to play a certain situation," Coleman said. "The more reps you get, the more comfortable you feel."
After being a pretty big deal as a 4-year starter at Ohio State, Coleman latched onto the NFL ladder near the bottom rung. For a seventh-rounder, making the team wasn't a given. Ditto being activated on Sunday, once the cutdowns passed. Then there was the fact that Coleman was almost exclusively a special-teams guy when the season began.
After stepping in for Allen against the Colts, Coleman explained that he had prepared mentally as if he were going to start, every week, even when he knew there was no chance of that happening.
"Stay hungry, try to do something to get better, each and every day," Coleman said. "If I'm out there on the scout team, trying to give the offense a look, I'm trying to do something to get better, each and every rep. For me, it was always about proving myself and putting myself in a position so I could, when I got the opportunity, perform well."
Last meeting, the Redskins loosened the Eagles up with their running game, which hasn't been a staple of their attack. The Eagles have made some defensive changes, promoting Moise Fokou to the starting strongside linebacker job and getting Antonio Dixon more involved at defensive tackle.
"We got chewed out," recalled Dixon, who has been a big part of the defense's ascent from 27th following that Redskins loss to 13th currently against the run. Chewed out by McDermott? By d-line coach Rory Segrest? "Both," Dixon said. "And coach Reid. When it's coming from coach Reid, we know we have to do better. We had to step up."
The defense giving up points on the first three Washington drives really distorted the rest of the game. As offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg noted yesterday, when asked about the effectiveness of the Redskins' Cover 2 against his group, "It worked well, 14 points up. We'll see" how it goes this time.
McDermott might have been miffed after that game, but he didn't lose his cool, he kept perspective on his young group.
"I think, as a staff, we love the energy," he said. "You love it as a teacher because their eyes are wide-open each and every week, each and every day. Within that, there's going to be some mistakes due to inexperience. We have to understand that, but continue to move them along in the right direction."
Birdseed
No changes in the injury picture. Nate Allen (neck) and Max Jean-Gilles did not practice and are unlikely to play. Allen said his neck is "loosening up" and is much better than it was early in the week . . . Ellis Hobbs (hip) and King Dunlap (knee) were partial practice participants and are not expected to start if they are active . . . Marty Mornhinweg said the Redskins' ranking of 31st among NFL defenses is misleading. He noted they rank really high on third-down defense, and in forcing turnovers. . . . Special-teams coordinator Bobby April said newly acquired safety Colt Anderson will see action on special teams this week. April offered that rookie corner Trevard Lindley "could be around here a long time as a player. He's talented."
For more Eagles coverage and opinion,
read the Daily News' Eagles blog, Eagletarian, at www.eagletarian.com.
Follow him on Twitter at
