Eagles' defense embracing challenge of facing yet another superstar quarterback

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The two quarterbacks with the highest passer ratings in NFL history are Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. They also happen to be the last quarterback and the next quarterback the Eagles face.
 
Which is just how this year has gone.
 
The Eagles have faced 10 quarterbacks this year, and seven of the 10 have either won a Super Bowl or are ranked among the top 15 quarterbacks in NFL history. And one of three others is Matt Stafford, who ranks second in NFL history in passing yards per game.
 
It’s a minefield of superstar quarterbacks, and so far the Eagles have held their own.
 
Despite facing all-pro QB after all-pro QB, the Eagles’ defense ranks No. 9 in the NFL in passing yards allowed, No. 6 in opposing passer rating and No. 2 in completion percentage going into their showdown Monday night with Rodgers and the Packers.
 
“Every Sunday you’re out there you have to give it your best, you have to perform at your highest level,” safety Rodney McLeod said. “There’s no Sunday that’s guaranteed to any team in this league. That’s what I’ve learned in my five years in this league. 
 
“We’ve been challenged every week. I think we’ve faced it all this year. We’ve had our highs and our lows, and Monday is another big challenge for us, Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Famer, can make every single throw. It’s going to be a test for us as an entire defense but definitely us in the back end. 
 
“But I think the type of guys we have, we embrace those moments, and we look forward to going up against those type of guys and measuring ourselves against the best guys out there.”
 
There are three quarterbacks in NFL history who have thrown at least 200 passes and have a passer rating over 100: Rodgers, Wilson and Dak Prescott. That’s four of the 16 quarterbacks the Eagles face this year.
 
Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger have won two Super Bowls each and Wilson and Rodgers have won one. Prescott, Wilson, Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Matt Ryan are all ranked in the all-time NFL top-10 in passer rating (200 attempts or more), and Robert Griffin III — who the Eagles faced on opening day — is 15th.
 
The least accompished quarterback the Eagles have faced this year is Sam Bradford, who they traded away in August. Everyone else is either ranked among the best in NFL history or has won a Super Bowl. 

Or both.
 
“Add to that, every quarterback is different,” linebacker Jordan Hicks said. “So you have Russell last week, who is able to be so crafty. We have Matt Ryan (two weeks ago) who is sitting there making every pass. And now you have Aaron Rodgers who provides a little bit of both. 
 
“But this defense, we embrace it. Absolutely. It’s a new challenge every week and that’s the way it should be. We don’t want any handouts. We want to prove that we’re going up against the top competition every week and doing what we should be against them. 
 
“We’re excited for Monday night. We’re playing one of the top quarterbacks the league has had for however long, so we’re really excited for the challenge.”
 
After Monday, the Eagles face Andy Dalton, who has the 17th-highest passer rating in history; Cousins again; Joe Flacco, who won a Super Bowl; Manning again; then perhaps Prescott, depending on whether the Cowboys have locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
 
What makes the Eagles’ pass defense performance so impressive is how bad they were the last few years. The Eagles allowed the second-most passing yards in NFL history over a three-year span from 2013 through 2015 and the most passing touchdowns.
 
They allowed 20 quarterbacks to throw for 300 yards under Chip Kelly and Bill Davis. And none this year.
 
This is the first time since 2003 the Eagles haven’t allowed a 300-yard passer through the first 10 games of a season.
 
“We enjoy it,” safety Malcolm Jenkins said. “We get a top receiver as well it seems like every week. We enjoy the challenge. Aaron Rodgers has been in the conversation of elite quarterbacks for as long as I’ve been in the league and nothing’s changed. You turn on the tape and he’s still playing at a high level. He’s one of those guys who can do it all. 
 
“You talk about Drew Brees, (Tom) Brady, what they do from the line of scrimmage, what they do from the pocket, and he’s just as talented as those guys from the pocket. You talk about Russell Wilson and his ability to extend plays and get those big chunks, he does the same exact thing and he’s probably more accurate on the run. It’s a big task but we’re looking forward to it. It’ll be a fun matchup for us.”
 
At home, the Eagles’ pass defense has been remarkable.
 
In four games at the Linc, all wins, the Eagles have yet to let a quarterback complete 60 percent of his passes. They’ve allowed just two passing TDs at home this year and held opposing QBs to a 67.4 passer rating.
 
The numbers are eye-opening. So are Rodgers’ numbers.
 
It all makes for an intriguging matchup Monday night in South Philly.
 
“We don’t get any breaks,” McLeod said. “Then you look at the receivers we face. A top guy every week.
 
“But we like it. As a secondary you just embrace those challenges. It  brings out the best in you when you go against guys of that caliber. It brings out the best in everybody because you know you have to give your best on every single play and be on point because that one point where you’re not could be the difference in the game.”

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