Dante Scarnecchia assesses the Eagles' defensive line: 'They're all pretty damn good'

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia needs no introduction for both his longevity with the franchise and his ability as a coach.

Over the years I've been able to spend a lot of time with Scarnecchia both at various football clinics and privately, and we've built a rapport where there's mutual respect. So I'd like to think that he shoots me pretty straight when it comes to talking about football, and both his guys and the upcoming opponent. Here's part of the conversation we had at media night about the Eagles' vaunted defensive line:

How good are these Eagles?

Yeah, they’re good. I think Jacksonville is really good but they’re a little bit different than these guys. I think they’ve amassed a really good defensive front — eight guys, they’ve got eight — I think Jacksonville had about six or seven. What’s unique about these guys is they just put them out there. If their turn, they go. If it’s (another group's) turn, they go. And when they want to get their absolute best guys out there, they put them out there, and they’ll all be fresh. So they do a great job with that. It’s hard. It’s a hard group.

When they get in their subpackage, with Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham on the inside, and with those outside guys, be it Chris Long, Vinny Curry, Derek Barnett, etc., how do you decide where to give extra help?

I think this: we know where everyone’s going to be, and if you feel like you need to help someone or not, then you adjust your stuff out to get that help. But I think this: if you’re paying Peter, you’re robbing Paul on the other side. At some point, some guy is going to get matched up with one-on-one — at least two of them are — because if there’s four, then we can push the center to one side. You have to do a great job. That’s where the techniques come in, this is where these last two weeks (of practice) come in. Last week we had a great week. This week we’re hopefully going to have as equally as good a week. And then we get everybody ready to play the best ball that they can.

They have to study these guys and know what they can’t do against them. Because there are certain things you can’t do against these guys. If you overset Chris, he’s going to jump inside. If you’re too soft on Curry, he’s going to knock the (expletive) out of you. Cox is Cox, man. You better be perfect on him. They’re all that way. Timmy (Jernigan) … I mean, gosh damn, they’re all that way. They’re all pretty damn good.

How does this group compare to some of the best fronts you've played, like the Giants in years past?

Every time you play against teams like this, they’re all good. These guys are no different. We better be at our best, Greg. We have to be at our best. We’ll see how it goes.

This Eagles group seems unique compared to other top fronts you've played this season in that they're super aggressive and they'll do some slanting to open holes for other players, how do you deal with that?

I think they’re very much oriented to playing the system, whatever the system calls for that week. If they are bringing pressure, yeah, you are going to see some of that. But for the most part, they want those guys on the edge to rush hard up the field and set the edge in the run game. The guys inside are tough to block. It’s just all that. They’re eight guys with a bunch of great skills and tenacious playing style and a scheme that Jim Schwartz had implemented that they all have embraced. That’s a tough combination. There are a lot of hard things there. It’s going to be hard, man.

It seems like your guys have really improved at dealing with twists and stunts, have you seen that?

I hope we have. We always work at it. Every day we go against a good defensive line and they do a lot of that stuff. I love that. Even though it may not be what the guys we’re playing against do, I think it just helps us. The more we see things, the better and we’ll respond to them in time. I think we’ve gotten to that point, but we’ll see how it goes this Sunday.

What's been your message to your guys this week? Like, do they have to play tougher or more physical?

If you’re tough you’re tough, if you’re not, you’re not. I think we’re tough. I think this: I think we have to stand up to them and I think we have to be really good in our techniques and trust the system, don’t make mistakes. If you’ve got Cox and you jump outside on him, he’s going to club you and go inside and you can’t do that. You have to be in the right spot with your hands in the right place. If you do that, then you have a chance. Then you have to compete, too. So we’ll see.