On Sunday in Philly, the main story was the performance of the offense, which finally looks a lot like the offense that coach Chip Kelly envisions.
But one of the players on the Eagles defense carried away the sheet of paper that commemorates the best performances of a given slate of games.
Defensive lineman Fletcher Cox is the NFC’s defensive player of the week, for the first time in his career.
“I hope the outside world recognizes the talent that he has,” defensive coordinator Bill Davis said after the game. “He’s a Pro Bowl-caliber player. I’ve been around a long time, and that’s what they look like. They play the run and they cause disruptions in the passing game. Sack numbers come and go, but he has the skill set.”
Cox had three sacks and a fumble recovery in the 39-17 win over the Saints.
“When he first got here, he wasn’t real familiar with the two-gap system, but he’s now taken the two-gap and really mastered that,” Davis said Sunday. “You can also put him on an edge, so he’s really got a rounded skill set and it keeps growing.”
If Cox keeps playing like he did on Sunday, the wins will keep piling up. Regardless of how the offense performs.