Just over midway through the season it's no secret that the Eagles defense is on the rise just as Trent Cole is hitting his stride at outside linebacker.
Trent Cole is used to hunting.
It's no secret that off the field Cole likes to spend his time in the wilderness hunting game be it with a shotgun or a crossbow.
On Sunday Cole likened chasing Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor to stalking a gazelle in the wild. That comparison doesn't seem so outlandish when you look at Pryor's rushing numbers this season; 94 yards on the ground Sunday against the Eagles and 485 this year.
What Cole, a nine-year veteran, hadn't done before this year is chase down quarterbacks the likes of Pryor from a stand up position as a linebacker
The 31-year old two-time pro bowler built a reputation as an upper echelon pass rusher in this league as a defensive end, but under new defensive coordinator Bill Davis, Cole moving to outside linebacker was essential in re-branding the Eagles from a 4-3 team to a unit using a 3-4 front.
On Sunday, Davis felt Cole's play in particular stood out as the veteran continues to find his footing at linebacker.
"Trent really had a nice game," Davis pointed out to the assembled media at the Novacare Complex Tuesday. "We kept flushing that quarterback out and he kept running around making plays.
"The first part of that is get him off his spot so he can't throw down field on you, and from there it's just everybody run as fast as you can, try to cut him off and tackle him. Everybody else stay plastered in your coverage and get attached to a man, so he can't do the backyard football that you see when these guys break the pocket and scramble. But the first part of that is the pressure we put on them. And Trent was a big part of the pressure."
While there hasn't been any conversation about Cole being a Pro Bowler by any stretch this season, he has continued to improve with each passing week. Through nine games after making a position change, Cole has posted 28 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one sack.
"I think I'm learning at that position, just learning and getting comfortable," Cole said. "I'm learning how to manage a game and what I can do and manage how I play at that position."
Cole's teammates have taken notice.
"Trent's doing a good job and it was a huge adjustment for him," DeMeco Ryans said of his fellow linebacker. "Of course changing positions and moving to being a stand up linebacker having to drop back and cover which is something he's never had to do in his career. You have a guy there who has worked at it and is getting a lot better at it.
"Our defense is better because Trent is playing a lot better as well."
While Cole certainly has a long way to go before his level of play reaches where he was at his peak at defensive end during his prime, he is steadily finding his way at linebacker.
Almost like learning to hunt a deer with a crossbow versus using a rifle.
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
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