September 16, 2021 3 MINUTE READ
"They Have Each Other's Back:" Q&A With Quintin Mikell, Jason Avant
Q&A: Jalen Hurts Brings Birds Together
by Geoff Mosher
Not only did the Eagles flourish offensively and defensively in their 32-6 season-opening destruction of the Falcons in Atlanta, they also gave off positive vibes in another, often overshadowed area.
Former Eagles safety Quintin Mikell and former Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant discussed the camaraderie they observed from the Eagles, a connection between the coaches and players that appeared to have faded away over the last few years.
Another thing that was beautiful to see was this team looks like they have each other's back," Mike said on the latest "Q&A" on Inside The Birds. "When they're coming out in the pregame and halftime, they're all dapping each other. It seems like they generally care about each other. I don't think this Eagles team since the Super Bowl year has really had that kind of togetherness, like that type of us-against-the-world type mentality, where we have each other's backs. That was really, really refreshing to see, to see those guys coming together and hopefully it continues to build throughout the season."
Avant, noting past Eagles blowups between Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens or Carson Wentz and teammates taking anonymous shot at him in the media, said Jalen Hurts' respect across the locker room has helped this team remain drama-free and just focus on football.
"I'm glad you said that," he told Mikell. "You know why? Because the QB1 position changes the entire dynamic of everything. If there's turmoil at that position, if theres lack of accountability at that position, if there's tension from other positions at that position, it messes up the entire dynamic of the team. The teams that respect QB1 … it seems like they get along. The quarterback is a likable person, he's a likable dude that knows how to go across the aisle and be able to communicate and have conversations with everyone."
Also discussed on the show: an overall evaluation of the coaches and scheme, a look at why the run defense started slowly, observations on Jason Kelce, Jordan Mailata, Devonta Smith and the D-line, along with a lookahead to Sunday's showdown against the 49ers.
"This [49ers] offense is gonna test everyone's ability to be disciplined and to be where you're supposed to be," Mikell said, "because the second that you get out of your gap, the second you're not where you're supposed to be, it's either gonna a handoff and they're going to hit the gap and get a 20-, 30-yard gain or it's gonna be a play-action pass and the ball is going to be behind you before you even know it."
Check out the full show on the Inside The Birds YouTube channel.
– Geoff Mosher (@geoffmoshernfl) is co-host of the "Inside the Birds" podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.
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Geoff Mosher NFL Insider/Analyst
Geoff Mosher is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years experience covering the Eagles, the NFL and other college and pro sports across several different multimedia platforms. He is co-host of the acclaimed Inside the Birds podcast, the leading podcast for intel on the Philadelphia Eagles, and co-host on 97.3 ESPN's drive-time show. He has also hosted on Philadelphia's sports-talk station, 94.1 WIP and 97.5 The Fanatic. Geoff was the lead Eagles Insider from 2012-2015 for NBC Sports Philadelphia, where he wrote for the website and appeared daily on the station's TV shows, including Quick Slants, Philly Sports Talk, Eagles Pregame/Postgame Live and Eagles Extra. Prior to joining NBC Sports, Geoff worked the Eagles beat from 2005-2012 for the Wilmington News Journal, where he broke several major news stories and also won an Associated Press Sports Editors award under the category of Breaking News for his coverage of the sudden death of Phillies play by play broadcaster Harry Kalas. Geoff has appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter, NFL Network, NBC Sports Network, FOX29, 6ABC and has conducted interviews for Sirius/XM NFL radio and countless other radio stations across the country.