By Paul Macrie, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
At one point this season, the Eagles were playing defense at a near elite level. The dominating defensive performances against the Steelers, Vikings and Falcons, in particular, seem like it was many months ago.
After three straight underwhelming efforts from the unit, the decline can be described as dramatic.
On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz spoke about the defensive "slump." One of the more notable quotes of the press conference came when he was talking about his reeling defensive backs. "Our corners aren't playing very well right now," Schwartz stated. It was an honest response without throwing any individual under the bus.
Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Andy Dalton – the last three quarterbacks the defense has faced — combined to throw for 917 yards and five touchdowns. There is no question the play of defensive backs Jalen Mills, Nolan Carroll and Leodis McKelvin has fallen off a cliff.
While Mills is a seventh-round rookie and it was expected he would go through first-year player pains, he is currently ranked as the last corner on Pro Football Focus' rankings. Mills has demonstrated a lot of guts for a rookie. Even when he gets beat badly on one play, he tends to have a short memory and come back and bat down a pass. He has covered Dez Bryant, Julio Jones and Odell Beckham this year — just to name a few big-time receivers.
McKelvin and Carroll are veteran corners that have been torched in recent weeks. Both defensive backs were picked on badly by Dalton in last Sunday's loss to Cincinnati. It has been part of the reason for the recent defensive decline.
After being ranked around the top five in pass defense for most of the season, the Eagles are now positioned as 13th in the league in pass yards allowed per game (244.5). It remains an improvement from previous seasons when Billy Davis was the defensive coordinator, but considering where they were as a unit, the drop-off is troubling.
Without much debate, the Eagles need to address the cornerback position during the offseason. McKelvin and Carroll were low-risk signings this past offseason, but both have been inconsistent, as expected. McKelvin is entering the latter stages of his career, while Carroll has always been a fringe starting corner. The front office will need to upgrade the position in the draft and likely free agency.
The defense is also struggling to get to the quarterback consistently now. Tied for 14th in the league in sacks with 26, the unit has failed to record a quarterback takedown in back-to-back games. Brandon Graham remains a dominate force along the defensive line, but the remainder of the line has struggled in recent weeks, including Fletcher Cox.
Schwartz's philosophy is to rely heavily on his front four to get pressure on the quarterback as the back seven stay in their proper lanes and defend against the deep ball, giving offensives the underneath routes. It was working for most of the season, but offenses have countered by getting the ball out quicker, taking advantage of loose coverage. Offenses will gladly take the six-yard plays, and then will attempt shots downfield.
Though the season is not salvageable at this point, it would be encouraging to see bounce-back efforts on both sides of the ball. The offense has always been the weakness in 2016, but the defense was improving – becoming a legitimate strength. Now, the unit is giving up significant plays we have been accustomed to seeing for years since the passing of the late Jim Johnson.
It is up to Schwartz to get his unit to regain its form by putting them in better spots to succeed. The defense needs to play with more of an edge, something it has lacked in the weeks coinciding with the losing streak. It is safe to say that there has been a lack of effort at times. It is very arduous to bring the same effort each and every play, but playing for pride is important. Yes, the Eagles' defense has never been perfect, with notable weaknesses in the secondary and lack of depth at linebacker – but playing within the scheme needs to remain a focus.
Tuesday's press conference was an honest reflection from Schwartz about his defense's struggles. It is one thing to acknowledge the slide, but it is another thing to get the team better prepared during the week and focused on game day. Despite four meaningless games remaining in the season, it will be interesting to see what this team is made of in each phase of the game.
We will learn more in the next month which players will be staying and those that need to be replaced. Several players are fighting for their future with the team.
