Eagles DL Fletcher Cox Coming into His Own with Huge 2014 Season
In a sense, Thanksgiving Day was a star-making performance for Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox. The 2012 first-round pick was nothing less than dominant on a nationally televised stage, racking up four solo tackles—two for a loss—and a sack in a 33-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in a battle for NFC East supremacy.
In reality, 2014 has been a star-making season for Cox, whether most people realized it or not. He may not fill up the stat sheet, which is what fans usually look at when they go to fill out their Pro Bowl ballots, but week in and week out, 23-year-old Cox sets the table for one of the best front sevens in the NFL.
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How integral have Cox’s contributions been for the Eagles defense? Head coach Chip Kelly pulled no punches during his postgame press conference carried live on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, telling reporters, “I think he’s been our best defensive lineman all year long.”
In Thursday’s pivotal win, Cox didn’t just set the table for his teammates—he also helped prepare the meal.
| 2014 | 38 | 3.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 | 41 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 39 | 5.5 | 4 | 1 |
Cox was instrumental in shutting down DeMarco Murray, who the Eagles limited to 73 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, the back’s least productive outing of the season. Murray previously had been held under the century mark on the ground just once and entered Week 13 leading the league in rushing by over 400 yards.
Leading up to the showdown in Dallas, you got the sense Cox didn’t feel he or his linemates were getting the respect they deserved. The third-year player said as much to Geoff Mosher of CSN Philly as the Eagles prepared to face one of the most highly regarded offensive lines in pro football.
“People don’t give us credit we deserve but we put it on tape and we’ve shown the world we can stop the run,” Cox said, “and obviously if anybody ever watched football and knows what our D-line is known for, that’s stopping the run.”
Unable to assert their will on the ground, the Cowboys eventually fell behind and turned to Tony Romo. Romo entered the week the second-highest rated passer behind only Aaron Rodgers, but with the threat of the run essentially off the table, the Eagles pinned their ears back, making the 12th-year signal-caller look feeble in the process.
Philadelphia had perhaps become better known for a tenacious pass rush that ranks second in the NFL with 42 sacks. However, Cox entered the game with just two on the season, which sounds downright disappointing for somebody who was originally drafted as an interior pass-rusher in a 4-3 defense.
Postgame, the head coach defended Cox from any perceived lack of influence on quarterbacks.
“I just think Fletch has been a disruptive force all year long,” said Kelly. “He hadn’t had a lot of sacks, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t playing well. He’s been playing at a very, very high level. He creates a lot of havoc on the defensive line, especially in the run stuff. He had a big sack again today. They’re just starting to come to him from a statistical standpoint, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t playing well earlier in the year.”
Playing defensive end in a 3-4 defense is by no means a glamorous job, despite what the J.J. Watts and Justin Smiths of the world might have you believe. It’s dirty, often anonymous work, but somebody’s got to do it.
| Wk 10 vs. CAR | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Wk 11 @ GB | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Wk 12 vs. TEN | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Wk 13 @ DAL | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1.0 |
From time to time, Cox makes the stop himself, usually in sensational fashion. The rest of the time he is taking up space, standing his ground, filling his gap, taking on blockers—a role easily overlooked by the casual viewer. But when executed well, his very presence makes every player around him better.
Those things don’t always show up on the back of guy’s football card.
Regardless of what any numbers indicate, make no mistake; Cox’s impact has not gone overlooked in Philadelphia. With only one year remaining on his rookie deal, according to Spotrac, and given how well he’s taken to the scheme change in just his second season in a 3-4, the Mississippi State product seems destined to receive a long-term contract extension in the coming offseason.
Thanks to standout individual efforts like Thursday’s, he may be on the verge of becoming a star around the league as well. You may not see Cox playing in the Pro Bowl this February, but if he keeps this up, rest assured, you will eventually.
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