Only for Guild Members » Is it time to bench Jalen Mills?

It took some of us a while to get there Authentic Destiny Vaeao Jersey , but the water is officially boiling. The Super Bowl Champions Philadelphia Eagles are in hot water too and in need of a change. I’m not talking about left guards, either. I’m talking about polarizing cornerback Jalen Mills.Let me be clear; Mills is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to our issues in coverage. Far from it. Rodney McLeod’s serious injury has left defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz scrambling for answers and so far his attempts have been as unconventional as they’ve been futile. That said, there’s one change that makes sense for a number of reasons.That change is benching Jalen Mills. A lot of the blame that gets placed on Mills is unfounded, but that just shows you just how much blame there is to go around right now. At some point it’s pointless to defend the small things and more productive to make the big change.Why has it taken this long? First, Schwartz is Mills’ biggest fan. When faced with questions about Mills, he’ll often harken back to the 2017 playoffs and the role he had in the Eagles success. This is not unfounded; Mills played very well during that run despite some volatile play throughout the season. Naturally that will give a player a longer leash. Fans are guilty of this too, but this isn’t about the now silent cult following of Halapoulivaati Vaitai, this is about breaking points.Pro Football Focus’ coverage stats are tricky thing. They’re good tools, but they often need verification that only film can bring. Unfortunately for Mills, the film isn’t kind to him either, so it’s hard to argue against the data in this case. So what do the analytics say about his performance?Mills is the 6th most frequently targeted cornerback in the league. Enemy quarterbacks have attacked him 35 times. In turn, he’s conceded 25 receptions (2nd most), 385 yards (2nd most), 124 yards after catch (9th most), and 1 touchdown for a 117 QB Rating (14th worst).When we talk about risk-taking cornerbacks, guys like Marcus Peters or Janoris Jenkins, we understand they’re going to give up some plays. Both of those players have a history of ball production that allows them to be forgiven for missteps. Mills does not. In 36 career games and 22 starts http://www.philadelphiaeaglesteamonlines.com/jordan-hicks-jersey , Mills has three interceptions. He has zero this year. In fact, can you remember a time this year when he jumped a route and just failed to finish? He hasn’t been close.The downside of being an aggressive without the ball production to justify it, is that teams are unafraid to attack you. Every week, and this is blatantly obvious now, teams are ensuring their game-plan includes going after Mills with at least one double move. Outside of Julio Jones controversial no-catch in Week 1 where he was dusted anyway, when has it failed? It certainly didn’t fail for the Minnesota Vikings.I don’t need to throw in a dozen videos of Mills being abused by double moves, we all know that pain well. Moving on from that, a source of considerable consternation among Eagles fans is the idea that Schwartz’s defense doesn’t get tight to the receivers. This is true to an extent. But if the key to unlocking Mills’ potential is getting him closer to the line, he didn’t show it on Sunday.With two hook zones underneath in the middle of the field and a deep safety inside for support, Mills’ aggressive undisciplined style of play burns him again. So if you can’t press, play off, or get ball production, what value does he bring the defense?Here is the most frustrating part ... one of the very few plays Mills did make on Sunday was followed up with inconceivably selfish extra curricular activity. One that nearly resulted in a penalty after a key red zone stop. A red zone stop that was necessary because Mills was burned for a 68-yard catch by Adam Thielen, the player to which Mills words are directed.Inexcusable. There’s no other way to look at it. There’s nothing to bark about in this situation. Mills is not a rookie, he should know better and thankfully Fletcher Cox knew better.What’s the solution? It’s simple. Start Rasul Douglas outside. Whether that happens on Thursday against the New York Giants or the following week to prepare him better, it needs to happen. We need to know what our cornerback situation of the future will look like and getting more tape on Douglas is part of the evaluation process that must happen. If it fails, then we have a better idea of what needs to be done in the off-season.Barring a complete turnaround from Mills Womens Brandon Graham Jersey , if Schwartz doesn’t make a move then he’s just as much at fault for the lapses in coverage as Mills. Considering he’s under fire after allowing Kirk Cousins to go 30/37, 301 yards and a touchdown despite getting fantastic pressure, Schwartz may need this change more than we do. This was supposed to be a potential Super Bowl preview abroad.The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the AFC runner-up.Instead, they went to London looking to save their seasons.Both teams are 3-4 and desperate for a victory. The Eagles blew a 17-0 lead in the fourth quarter last week at home in a loss to Carolina. The Jaguars have lost three in a row and four of five."We're losing games by just a couple of plays," Eagles coach Doug Pederson said, pointing to the defense's failure to make stops on fourth downs on the losing drives against Tennessee and the Panthers. "It's coming down to two, three plays, and we're sitting here at 5-2 instead of 3-4. We're only talking about a couple of plays and this thing is different. I have so much confidence in this football team and coaching staff that we're going to get this fixed."The Jaguars have much bigger issues.There was conflict in the locker room following the latest loss in which quarterback Blake Bortles was benched. Bortles will start against the Eagles, and perhaps a players-only meeting and a trip out of the country will allow the guys to bond."We have a mature group of guys at each group to understand containment and say things aren't going to get out of hand," Jags safety Tashaun Gipson said. "We just know what we've got to do."The Eagles are playing their first game in Wembley Stadium, while the Jaguars have made the trip for the sixth consecutive season; they play one home game in England annually."We've been over there a few times and we know how to handle it," defensive tackle Malik Jackson said.Here are some things to know about the NFL's final game of its 2018 London series:HYDE'S DEBUTFormer Cleveland running back Carlos Hyde will make his Jaguars debut, and the team expects him to bring a physical style to an offense that has lost its identity. The Jaguars are built to run the ball with Leonard Fournette, who will miss his sixth game because of a hamstring injury.With Fournette's absences pilling up, the Jags traded a fifth-round draft pick to the Browns for Hyde last Friday. Hyde watched the loss to Houston, seeing clearly where he's needed."I run angry Womens Corey Graham Jersey , downhill, smash-mouth," he said. "That's been my game ever since I started playing this game, so I think I'll fit in perfect here. ... If we can move the ball in the right direction and convert those third downs, keep the drives alive and give the defense a break, it would be helpful."CARSON CRITICISMCarson Wentz has been excellent for the Eagles since returning in Week 3 following knee surgery that forced him to miss the playoffs. Wentz has 10 touchdowns, only one interception, and a career-high 70.8 completion percentage. But even though he was 30 of 37 against the Panthers, Wentz misfired on his final two passes in the red zone and got sacked on the last play."I know this: I want the ball in Carson's hands at the end of the game," Pederson said. "I want him having control of helping us win a football game, and then the guys doing their jobs."TAMING TURNOVERS?The Jaguars spent considerable time in practice this week working on protecting and punching out the football, all part of coach Doug Marrone's plan to limit turnovers and force takeaways. Jacksonville is minus-12 in turnover differential, which ranks 31st in the league."We're not playing like we want to play or should play," Marrone said. "We have to get out there with a lot of enthusiasm."SPREADING IT AROUNDWentz is throwing most of his passes to tight end Zach Ertz and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. They have caught 31 passes in the past two games. Everyone else has combined for 25 receptions."When everyone is touching the ball they're able to play with more confidence," Ertz said.STARTING TIMEThree-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett had to adjust to a new role after the Eagles acquired him from Seattle, but he'll get more playing time because of season-ending injury to Derek Barnett.Barnett had three sacks in the past four games. Rookie Josh Sweat should also see action off the bench.AP Sports Writer Mark Long contributed to this story.