Can’t get out of the red

Quintin Mikell is the elder statesman on a young Eagles defense. So, when he calls the unit a work-in-progress, you have to expect their red-zone woes will get corrected soon.

But when? The Eagles are ranked last in the NFL in red-zone efficiency, surrendering a touchdown nearly 80 percent of the time.

“We get down there, and it’s like here we go again,” said Mikell.

The team has allowed at least one red-zone touchdown in all but one game. Meanwhile, the offense is the second-highest scoring in the entire league.

“We’re hard at work trying to get that problem fixed right now; and if we want to make a stretch run here, we need to do a better job in the red zone,” said defensive coordinator Sean McDermott.

Earlier this week, it looked like they were going to get a boost with Juqua Parker and Asante Samuel returning to the field. Now, the latter part of that equation could be an issue.

While Parker practiced for a second day, Samuel sat out Thursday’s session and is listed day-to-day. If he can’t go, Joselio Hanson would get the start.

“All that matters is us getting a win right now,” Hanson said. “I took all the reps this week, and hopefully if Asante doesn’t play I’ll be able to step up.”
Either way, they need to get better in the red zone.

“We’ll get it fixed,” Mikell said.