With Matt Patricia as defensive play caller, inexperienced Eagles get a chance to see increased snaps

SEATTLE — As a direct result of Matt Patricia’s debut as the Eagles’ defensive play caller, several players saw an increase in playing time Monday night during the 20-17 loss to the Seahawks.

Rookie cornerback Kelee Ringo earned his first career start in place of injured veteran Darius Slay. Ringo logged a season-high 32 defensive snaps. In the second quarter, he recorded his first career pass defensed when he reached across wide receiver DK Metcalf’s body to swat the ball away.

“I just wanted to do my part, that was the main thing coming into the game. … I’m just being patient and having confidence in myself,” Ringo said. “I feel like through this entire week, I feel like we’ve been able to do that. So, when opportunities come, just being able to seize those moments. You just see things, trust yourself.”

» READ MORE: What to know about Matt Patricia, the Eagles’ new defensive play caller

Ringo, a fourth-round pick out of Georgia, and his teammates said they learned earlier in the week that Patricia would take over play-calling duties from coordinator Sean Desai.

“No matter who is making the calls, we have to be able to be out there and be able to perform,” Ringo said. “So it was about staying together, no matter which coach it is.”

The defense’s noted struggles in the passing game and also on critical downs likely played a part in the switch from Desai to Patricia — a sudden move that coach Nick Sirianni said he made himself. But Desai’s reluctance to mix up the personnel on the back end might have been a factor as well.

Fellow rookie cornerback Eli Ricks, who went undrafted out of Alabama, logged the second-highest snap total of his rookie season with 48. Between Ringo and Ricks, the duo did not allow a single reception across five targets from Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock, according to Pro Football Focus.

» READ MORE: Eagles rookie CB Kelee Ringo grows into his role

Elsewhere, special teamer and linebacker Patrick Johnson logged eight defensive snaps after not playing on defense all season.

“The coaches always do a good job, especially linebackers coach D.J. [Eliot] and Coach Patricia; they’re always helping me out with just trying to make it as simple as possible for me but also trying so I can do as much as I can,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we keep expanding from it because I feel like we can do more things. I thought our defense played pretty solid. Unfortunately, they came back on that last drive. But I know we’re going to go back and clean up some things. We missed too many tackles.”

Johnson has built his reputation as a reserve edge rusher, buried on the depth chart behind Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham. However, Johnson appeared, at least momentarily, at off-ball linebacker alongside Nicholas Morrow. On that play, Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker ran in Johnson’s direction, but Johnson was unable to bring him down on first contact.

“That’s something I’ve done in practices since I’ve gotten here in the league,” Johnson said of the off-ball role. “[General manager] Howie Roseman has talked to me about it before. I can be a versatile player. Playing on and off, being able to do both, it’s something I’ve done since I was a rookie.

“It helps disguise some things because I’m known as a rusher. So being able to do both can be very helpful for myself and the team. The ball came my way, I’ve got to clean up a thing on that play. And just get the guy down. He’s a good running back, so I’ve just got to do my job.”

He concluded: “I think the coaches, the preparation was great. Everybody that came in did a good job. We’ve got to go back to the tape and see what we did wrong. But I think overall, the preparation was great this week. We’ve just got to do some things better.”