Philadelphia Eagles Not Getting Enough from Inside Linebackers

The question all offseason and summer was how would the Philadelphia Eagles get all of their talented interior linebackers on the field? These days, all anybody can do is wonder what happened to the defense that is getting so little production in the middle of the field?

The trio of DeMeco Ryans, Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso was supposed to be one of the strengths of this football team. Instead, inside linebackers have been more of a liability in recent weeks, particularly since rookie sensation Jordan Hicks was lost for the season in Week 9.

To be fair, injuries have been a factor. Ryans was out for two games with a hamstring and has played limited snaps since returning. Kendricks lost three games to a hammy and only recently began rounding into form. Alonso has missed the most time with various dings—five games, not to mention much of training camp and the preseason—and has not looked like himself at all.

GM	RYANS	KENDRICKS	ALONSO
Wk 10 v MIA	3 TKL, 1 PD	7 TKL, 1.0 SK	4 TKL
Wk 11 v TB	2 TKL	5 TKL, 1 FF	1 TKL
Wk 12 @ DET	4 TKL	7 TKL	4 TKL

Still, you can only make so many excuses. The unit should be getting more done almost by accident.

In the past three weeks, Kendricks is the only one of the bunch to create a negative play—one sack and two tackles for losses. Ryans has a lone pass breakup. Alonso has nine largely empty tackles. None of them have managed to create a turnover.

It's not merely the lack of production that's so concerning either. Simply put, they're playing poorly.

Kendricks has been the most reliable of the bunch over the last three games, which is saying something. He's missed three tackles, according to Pro Football Focus, and struggled in coverage, allowing touchdowns in back-to-back games. And what's most striking of all about the fourth-year player's performance is he frequently seems to be out of position.

Kendricks is considered one of the Eagles' best defensive playmakers. The 25-year-old was one of only three linebackers in the entire NFL with at least eight sacks, three interceptions and five forced fumbles over the previous two seasons.

In 2015, Kendricks has three sacks, one forced fumble and has yet to get his hands on a ball in the air.

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As disappointing as Kendricks has been, Alonso is even worse. When the Eagles dealt All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for the third-year linebacker, people were shocked. But you could see why. As a rookie, Alonso racked up a terrific line of 159 tackles—third in the NFL—two sacks, four pass breakups, four interceptions and a forced fumble.

Right now, however, Alonso is a shell of that player. He missed all of 2014 with a torn ACL then was dropped into a new defense upon his arrival in Philadelphia, a defense he hasn't had much opportunity to master given all of his injuries this season.

Alonso has looked OK in coverage, but according to Pro Football Focus, ranks 93rd among inside linebackers in run-stop percentage. There just isn't much impact there.

Brad Penner/Associated Press

Ryans, meanwhile, was supposed to be the veteran presence that held the unit together. He was making big plays earlier in the year.

Yet since he's been slowed by the hamstring, Ryans has been just a guy. The two-time Pro Bowler has only nine tackles compared to three misses over the last three games, and like Alonso, he has lacked impact in general.

When Hicks was selected in the third round of this year's draft, it was widely assumed he wouldn't even be able to get on the field. Not only did he play as guys went down, the rookie was having the best season of the entire bunch. With Hicks on injured reserve, the play up the middle simply hasn't been the same.

The good news is Ryans, Kendricks and Alonso are all capable of playing at a much higher level. We simply don't know if we're going to see that again in 2015.