How Important Are Long And Jenkins To Eagles Defense?

After allowing 29.3 Points Per Game during their previous three games, the Eagles defense got back on track limiting the Raiders to just 10 Points on Monday Night.  On the season, the Eagles have the second best Points Differential in the NFL at +168 and are sixth in the league in Points Per Game Allowed (19.3) behind the leadership of veterans such as Malcolm Jenkins and Chris Long.  Jenkins was selected to his second Pro Bowl this season while compiling 63 Total Tackles, Two Interceptions and One Sack.  Long has tallied Five Sacks while on the field for just 47.25 Percent of the Defensive Snaps this season as part of the defensive line rotation.

Turron Davenport of USA Today Eagles Wire joined The Sports Bash on Wednesday and discussed Chris Long and Malcolm Jenkins impact on the defense:

“When it’s pressure time, Chris Long just seems to know when it’s time to get that Sack and get that strip as well; he did against the Rams, against the Chargers also, and now you see it happen (versus the Raiders) and I think that’s just a matter of having a feel for when your team needs a play to be made.  Then you also have to look at Malcolm Jenkins – he ripped (the ball) out of Jalen Richard’s hands and that was a key turnover because (the Raiders) were getting ready to kick a Field Goal that would have put them ahead.  So that defense, they kept (the Eagles) in it for sure and it’s just one of those games where they had pick up for the offense that was slacking.”

Hear what Davenport had to say about Nick Foles, the Eagles offense, the win over the Raiders, and more