The Eagles’ defense has spent the season taking hits, but Drew Mukuba isn’t buying the idea that the current slide has worn on him.
Philadelphia’s second-year safety, speaking after the team’s 38-point loss to the Cowboys on Monday, said Wednesday that the struggles on that side of the ball have not left him frustrated. The Eagles allowed 38 points in Week 7, the most given up during the Vic Fangio era, and the defensive numbers have been rough across the board. Still, Mukuba said he sees progress.
“No, I don’t think it’s frustrating, to be honest with you,” Mukuba told NJ.com about the defensive struggles. “I feel like we’ve been getting better every week and that’s good to see.
So really nothing to be frustrated about. We know what we got in the room, we know what we are capable of and we know what we’re working towards.
So it’s not frustrating. It might be frustrating to y’all.
But I feel like we heading in the right direction with this thing.”
That view lines up with what Jalen Carter said earlier in the week. The Eagles defensive tackle said losing five straight games has not affected him at all, a remark that stirred plenty of reaction on social media and local sports radio.
Whether the two defenders are simply trying to keep the mood steady or genuinely feel detached from the results, the on-field numbers tell a different story. Philadelphia was expected to field one of the league’s top defenses this season, but the unit has instead slipped to 27th in total defense, 26th against the pass and 27th against the run.
The Cowboys exposed those issues with 212 passing yards and 204 rushing yards against Philadelphia. For a 2-5 Eagles team, that kind of performance leaves little margin for error, especially with Sunday’s game against Washington looming. A loss there could effectively end any playoff hope.
Mukuba said he’s treating his own season as part of the learning curve.
“It ain’t all bad and it ain’t all good,” Mukuba said about his individual performance this season. “It’s my second year, so just keep growing. Learn from what I’ve seen this year, what I’m experiencing this year and just grow and get better.”
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