After spending much of the summer working on the inside as the expected slot cornerback in Vic Fangio’s defense, Quinyon Mitchell quickly found himself working snaps on the outside for the Phiadelphia Eagles in Week 1 aft Isaiah Rodgers sufferent an injurt that left him unable to travel to Brazil.
Since that fateful day, Mitchell has played has played 98 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps plus 23 percent of their special teams snaps and has largely done a good job in the role, even if he’s allowed a few big catches along the way – see Darnell Mooney’s big catch at the end of Week 2.
Asked by reporters what he though of Mitchell’s play so far this season, Nick Sirianni endorsed his young quarterback, letting everyone know that he was particualrly impressed with his efforts against Rashid Shaheed in Week 3.
“You know, we’ll see. We have the ability to be flexible with the different pieces that we have back there, so you never know. As far as just how he’s done, I think he’s done a nice job. I think he’s made some good plays on the football. I think we told you guys from the beginning, very confident and not fazed by anything. And he gets to go against two really good receivers, and our entire receiving core, actually, every day at practice,” Sirianni told reporters.
“I think that’s really prepared him. And then, those deep balls that he’s been getting hands on, those are obviously big plays. They count as PBUs for [CB Quinyon Mitchell] Q, but had [he] caught those, those are explosive plays for the offense. So those are huge plays. He’s done a nice job. That was a really good one on the double move on the third down that he made the play on [Saints WR Rashid Shaheed] 22 on the last game. So he’s done a nice job. And again, the moment’s not too big for him. I think that speaks a lot to the character of Q. That he’s just [the] same guy every day, just working to get better and doesn’t make a big deal about the moment. He’s just in the moment of where he is.”
Is Sirianni on the money? Should fans be impressed with what Mitchell has done so far this season, or are those big gaffs simply too egregious to ignore? Well, Week 4 could play a big role in deciding just that, as Mitchell will be up against two very good receivers versus Tampa Bay.
Nick Sirianni: Week 4 will be a huge challenge for Quinyon Mitchell
Discussing the prospects of a facing off against both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Week 4, Sirianni was asked how he expects Mitchell to fair against Tampa Bay. Though the task is tough, Sirianni still believes Mitchell should be able to hang, as he’s got a perfect mentality to play CB in the NFL.
“So, yeah, they create challenges because they’re big time players. We’ll have to be on it,” Sirianni explained. “Like I said, I know [CB Quinyon Mitchell] Q doesn’t react – Q gets to go against [WR] A.J. [Brown] and [WR] DeVonta [Smith] every day. And Q is a guy that is not fazed by the moment. So this is a big moment in his career, but I know he’ll be ready to play and won’t be fazed.”
After a strong showing in Week 3, if Mitchell can hold things down and show out in Week 4, who knows, maybe he will finally get the respect he deserves from fans who aren’t certified tape junkies.
