Fletcher Cox Remains Eagles Driving Force on Defense

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

For all the talk of Carson Wentz — and it is absolutely warranted — Fletcher Cox has almost gotten lost in the shuffle. Almost.

There is no missing the defensive line force when it comes to Sundays, and so far, Cox has proven to be the Eagles most focal player on the opposite side of the ball.

Through three weeks, Cox has 11 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble, but it's more than the numbers that show his value.

Cox is tied for the team lead in sacks and otherwise, isn't running away with the lead in any other category. But what he is doing is allowing for those around him to finish the plays that he starts.

On a defensive line that is given the instruction to attack, Cox is the key cog, the driving force. The 2012 first-round pick, now in his fifth season, has become one of the most dangerous defensive linemen in the game.

The thing that makes Cox so special is that despite the overall success of the defensive line as a whole, he is still the noticeable standout. When opposing teams go to gameplan against the Eagles, the focus is on Cox. And he is hard enough to block as on part.

Now throw in the rest: Brandon Graham, Connor Barwin, Bennie Logan. It is a lineup with so much potential and the ability to dismantle opposing offensive lines.

The Eagles success this season on their way to a 3-0 record has certainly been divided. It's not just Carson Wentz and the offense. It's not just Doug Pederson and the play calling. It's not just Fletcher Cox and the pass rush. It's a collective team.

When you look at the defense, Cox's role is important in what can result from his abilities on the line. The pass rush creates the greater risk for a turnover, whether it is through a collapsing pocket before bringing down a quarterback as he's swarmed by one, two, even three players on the rush or the fear of being hit that forces an errant throw to a waiting member of the secondary.

Cox already had an innate ability to get to the quarterback and be a key player in both the pass and run defenses. But with Jim Schwartz, it's like a match made in heaven. Schwartz's defensive scheme seems to be working for all of the carryovers from Andy Reid and Chip Kelly.

But for Fletcher Cox, the instruction to just get after the quarterback is music to a defensive lineman's ears. And he is in a rhythm that is hard to break, the force that has helped the Eagles defense be among the best in the NFL after three games.

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