Philadelphia Eagles Jim Schwartz approval poll: November 2017

We continue our November edition of Philadelphia Eagles approval polls with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. If you missed the Howie Roseman/Joe Douglas approval poll from Wednesday, vote here.

The last time we checked in on Schwartz’s approval was back in October. He earned an 81% approval rating at the time.

Here’s a look at how the Eagles rank in some noteworthy categories through the first nine games of the season:

• Opponent points per play: 12th
• Opponent yards per play: Tied for 11th
• Sack percentage: 16th
• Takeaways per game: Tied for 6th

Schwartz’s unit also ranks 10th in defensive DVOA.

The Eagles’ defense has made some positive strides since the last time we polled Schwartz’s approval. They’ve really settled in recently.

Philadelphia’s defense is elite in two key areas: stopping the run and rushing the passer. The Eagles are only allowing 66.4 rush yards per game, which ranks first in the NFL. They’re facing an historically low amount of rushing attempts. Teams know they can’t run the ball on this team.

By completely stopping the run, the Eagles force their opponents to be one-dimensional. From there, Philly can use their pass rushers to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. And boy are the Eagles generating a lot of pressure.

Whew.

The Eagles’ defensive success is happening exactly as it’s supposed to be. Schwartz wants the front four to be the strength of his unit. The Eagles are getting great production out of starters Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Fletcher Cox, and Tim Jernigan. But it’s not just them. Philly is deep on the d-line with Chris Long, Derek Barnett, Beau Allen, and Destiny Vaeao also contributing.

While the front four is the foundation, it’s not the only unit performing well. Nigel Bradham and Mychal Kendricks are making key contributions at linebacker. Philadelphia’s secondary has been very competitive and not concerning as it was entering the season. And they’ve been playing without Ronald Darby, who will return after the bye.

I’d say it’s hard not to approve of the job Schwartz has done recently. The Eagles have been able to pair their high-scoring offense with a defense that disrupts the other team’s offense.

Are you confident in Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles? Vote now in the poll below and leave your thoughts in the comments. (Click here if you can’t see the poll.)

Previous Approval Polls:

• October 2017: 81% approval
• January 2017: 76% approval
• December 2016: 54% approval
• September 2016: 99% approval
• May 2016: 93% approval