Prior to joining the Philadelphia Eagles, Jonathan Gannon spent three years as the DB coach in Indianapolis. What does that mean for the imminent future of a secondary that hasn’t really been addressed? I dove into a recent history of Colts cornerbacks to try and work out what we can expect from Philly’s new defensive coordinator.
2018
Kenny Moore:
77 tackles, 11 PD, 3 INT, allowed 62/87 passes (71.3%) 527 yards, 80 passer rating, 12.5% missed tackle percentage
2018 was very much a catalyst year for Moore, who ended up transitioning into the slot midway through the season and being used more as a blitzer. In fact, he ended up setting a new Colts record for single postseason sacks with 3.
Moore was only 23 years old going into this season and showed real maturity. While his missed tackle percentage was slightly alarming, he was rarely beaten badly in his matchups and showed a real nose for the ball.
Pierre Desir:
79 tackles, 8 PD, 1 INT, allowed 45/83 passes (54.2%) for 624 yards, 3 TD, 85.6 rating, 3.7% MTKL
A career-year at the time, Desir exploded onto the scene with a 77.7 PFF grade. He was often the CB1 in man-coverage scenarios and held his own against some of the league’s toughest wideouts such as Amari Cooper, whom he limited to just 32 yards.
Desir proved to be among the most fluid DB’s in the league that year, flaunting a smooth backpedal and a scary burst when breaking on the ball in off-man situations.
Quincy Wilson:
28 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD, allowed 26/40 passes (65%) for 274 yards, 1 TD, 82.7 rating 12.5 MTKL%
Wilson was highly-rated by many coming out of Florida and was tossed into the deep end pretty early. It was a tale of two halves for the second-year player, garnering a 79.7 PFF grade and exploding over the team’s final ten games.
The fact Wilson went from early-season woes to being almost unbeatable when targeted 10+ yards is really impressive, but he struggled in off-man situations and his tackling angles were often poor. He was much better in man situations and was a little too patient when playing off the ball, meaning it was all too easy for receivers to win curls and comebacks.
2019
Kenny Moore
61 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 PD, 2 INT, allowed 42/60 passes (70%), 356 yards, 1 TD, 76.8 rating, MTKL 7.6%
Year two under Jonathan Gannon was a big one for Kenny Moore. Fresh off the back of an extension, we saw him pick up where he left off in the postseason, being used in blitzes far more regularly. His missed-tackle percentage slashed and his play in coverage remained consistent.
Moore cemented himself as one of the top nickels in the league with another year of solid play that saw his passer-rating when targeted dipped. In fact, his 5.2 targets allowed per game were the 12th fewest in the NFL
As physical as they come, Kenny Moore started to grow into the heartbeat of the Colts secondary.
Pierre Desir
50 tackles, 11 PD, 3 INT 48/74, 64.9%, 616 yards, 96.5 rating, 5 TD, 13.5 MTKL%
Desir had a bit of a down year after his 2018 breakout but was reportedly playing on an injured leg for the majority of it after injuring his hamstring and suffering a bone bruise.
His coverage prowess took a notable step back, with the veteran allowing 5 touchdowns and his missed-tackle percentage spiking to 13.5%.
With that in mind, he still found a way to break up 11 passes and set career-highs in both that and the INT metric. He was ultimately released during the offseason.
Rock Ya-Sin
62 tackles, 5 PD, 1 INT, 62 TKL, TFL, allowed 46/66 passes (69% (nice)) for 637 yards, 3td, 109 rating, 6.1% MTKL%
Thrust into a starting role almost instantly, Ya-Sin had a topsy-turbo campaign that flashed real physicality and sometimes an over-aggression in man-coverage. Courtland Sutton gave him the business to bring him back down to earth, racking up 75 yards and what felt like 381 penalties with relative ease in the game against Denver.
For the most part though, Ya-Sin played with real confidence and wasn’t afraid to get physical at the line of scrimmage, giving the Colts confidence that they have a future starter on their hands. He fit perfectly into their zonal defense and would rarely be caught stuck in the mud. Like most corners, his errors came through going all-in on a decision that backfired, or playing the receiver and forgetting to turn for the ball.
Quincy Wilson
11 tackles, 13/18 72%, 174 yards, 2 TD, 139 rating, 8.3 MTKL%
After a fairly tame 2018, Wilson was given the Rasul Douglas treatment and buried behind a shiny new rookie CB in Rock Ya-Sin. He featured sparingly, partly due to injury, and struggled, slipping down the depth chart and surprisingly barely featuring on special teams while other corners were more than willing to take those snaps.
In coverage, he just looked like he had clearly been shaken in terms of confidence. He became overly grabby at the line and then almost feared contact in zone, willing to trace back further and further to avoid getting those pesky PI calls, making it all too easy for short routes to beat him.
Continued on the page below.
2020
Kenny Moore
80 tackles, 13 PD, 1 INT 73/101, 72.3%, 846 yards, 97.2 rating, 5 TD, 2 sacks
Would you be surprised to see Kenny Moore thriving again? As a former UDFA, Moore continued to shine, racking up a stunning 13 passes defensed. He saw almost double the targets he did in 2019 but his completion percentage given up went up just 3%, which is absolutely absurd.
Moore had arguably his most complete campaign yet in 2020 and it’s hard not to look at the drafting of Zech McPhearson and see if Jonathan Gannon is trying to bring his own version in Philadelphia as another feisty corner who plays beyond his frame and can contribute in numerous facets.
Xavier Rhodes
12 PD, 2 INT, 42 tackles, 42/81, 51.9%, 563 yards, 5 TD, 84.5 Rating, 8.7 MTKL%
One of the big narratives of last season was the resurrection of Xavier Rhodes. After reuniting with Jonathan Gannon in Indy having played under him during his stint with the Vikings, Rhodes flourished and proved that all comments surrounding a potential drop off in play were simply mythical.
Rhodes was back to his shutdown best last season. No longer having to live on his own island while receivers licked their lips at an opportunity to beat a flailing great, he had a lot less responsibility and was able to have a greater impact as a result. Maybe he did lose some of that speed and burst that once made him so dominant, but Indy’s system acted as a safe haven that allowed his ballhawking tendencies and strong football IQ to still thrive.
T.J Carrie
32 tackles, 8 PD, 2 INT, 23/40, 57.5% completion percentage, 309 yards
Carrie is coming off of a one-year prove-it deal with the Colts worth $1M and he more than lived up to the minimal price tag. While only playing in 38% of snaps, Carrie’s impact was a visible one and he also played a huge role on special teams. He proved he could play both inside and outside, making noise at both spots and acting as valuable insurance for Rock Ya-Sin, who struggled to find consistency.
Rock Ya-Sin
45 tackles, 1 INT, 45/67, 67.2%, 594 yards, 2 TD, 98.7 rating, 6.3 MTKL%
Ya-Sin’s second campaign in the NFL was a bumpy one at best. He gave up some silly penalties in some big-time spots. This wasn’t new, he gave up five penalties alone to the Broncos in the Courtland Sutton masterclass, but it became an Achilles heel in 2020. It’s a shame, because there were some really impressive moments on tape, but they were often overshadowed by some sloppy footwork at the line that resulted in getting very handsy.
Overall
There were no glaring ‘failures’ under Jonathan Gannon. Kenny Moore broke out as one of the best nickel corners in the league and even in down-years for others, there were still plenty of bright spots. What Chris Ballard did really well was blend a veteran presence with the youth infusion in order to give his corners some support. The Eagles have that in Darius Slay, it’s just a case of who’s going to be his running-mate on the outside.
Jonathan Gannon loves his versatile corners. T.J Carrie was just as much an insurance policy for ‘RYS’ as he was a backup slot option. You only have to look at Moore’s development as someone used in blitz packages to see that it’s something he clearly prioritizes.
The New Eagles DC also wasn’t afraid to throw his young corners to the wolves. Quincy Wilson and Rock Ya-Sin were both given opportunities to start very early on in their careers. This means that not only will we probably see a healthy dose of Zech McPhearson in 2021, but that it wouldn’t be overly surprising if the Eagles do want to ride guys like Michael Jacquet for a while knowing the cream of the CB prospect crop is coming in the 2022 NFL Draft, where they hold a trio of first-round picks.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
