Coleman makes Eagles history in win over ‘Skins

LANDOVER, Md.He opened the season as a starting safety.

In Week 2, he made a combined 10 tackles.

A week later, he missed oneand helped Nnamdi Asomugha miss anotheron what was a Bad News Bad-esque debacle of a play.

It was only one play, but it was enough to earn him a spot on the bench. There isnt a play that symbolizes the Eagles 1-4 start better than that one.

Then he got the starting job backbut not necessarily because he earned it. He resumed taking reps with the first team last week because of a Jarrad Pages ineffectiveness.

Then in the Eagles' 20-13 win Sunday over Washington (see story), Kurt Coleman not only earned his starting job butwith three interceptionsalso made team history in the process.

Its tough. Im a competitor, and I know what Im capable of doing out there, but first three games, I wasnt getting it done, and that was apparent, Coleman said. I think it was a humbling experiencethat taught me a lesson. I just worked my butt off the last couple weeks.

I was playing my game, I just wasnt doing enough, so to speak. I think today, along with the defensive linemen stopping the run, I was able to be back there and make the plays that I have been able my whole career.

A seventh-round pick in last years draft, became the 11th player in franchise history to snag three interceptions in a game and the first since Oct. 23, 1966 (Joe Scarpati vs. the Giants at Yankee Stadium).

In other words, neither Brian Dawkins nor Wes Hopkins nor Troy Vincent nor Eric Allen ever had three in a game. Whats more, Coleman became only the sixth player ever to do it against the Redskins. Coleman's other career interception also came against the Redskins.

The Kurt Coleman that started Sunday, according to defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, was a different Kurt from the one who started the seasons first three games.

I think what happened with Kurt, when he got benched, he got demotedthat hurts, Castillo said. To great credit to him, he kept working hard in practicereally seemed like he was out of his mind the way he was working in practice, studying, doing all the correct things. Sometimes, you get another chance. He got another chance and hes taking advantage of the opportunity.

The first player to have three picks in a game this season, Coleman admitted to having watched more film this week.

This ship needed to be right this week, he said. We needed to get this win. I think everybody put in a little bit extra time. We were right there. We just needed to put that extra to get it over the hump.

The last time Coleman had three picks in a game was 2004when he was a junior at Northmont High School in Clayton, Ohio. That time, the victim was Brennan Glass of Springfield High School.

This time, the victim was Rex Grossman, who after the last pick was benched in favor of John Beck. The first came less than three minutes into the gameand was the most difficult. On third-and-16, Grossman looked long over the middle for Fred Davis, but Coleman came across, leapt over Davis, pinned it on the tight ends facemask and came down with it.

The first one, they tried to stretch us out by running all goes, and I was just reading Rex, Coleman said. I had a feeling that he was just going to try to go to the tight end because Fred Davis is such a talented tight end, so I was kinda cheating that way, and once he threw it, I had to go up and make the play.

The last two came in the third quarter. Grossman fired again to Davis down the middle, but Coleman stepped in front of Davis and returned it 24 yards. The third pick came minutes laterand was a gift. Grossman scrambled, looked down the sideline, underthrew former Eagle Jabar Gaffney and Coleman swooped in to end Grossmans afternoon.

The other interceptions, just instincts, Coleman said. I just felt like Rex was going to throw it and I was breaking on the ball.

It was the Eagles fourth interception, with the other fittingly from safety Nate Allen, who has regained his starting job after being benched in the preseason. Allen and Coleman opened camp as the first-team safeties, and hopefully now they can help stabilize what has been a shaky secondary.

I think thats what we wanted all along, from the beginning of camp, Coleman said. But when you have a new defense, were trying to find the right fits for our safeties, right schemes and how we want to play things. Hopefully this is the right combo. Nate and I have a very good relationship on and off the field, and we know where each other are going to be, and I think we have a nice chemistry back there. We get things lit up.

For the first time since the Week 1 win at St. Louis, the Eagles didnt allow a passing touchdown. They entered the game having allowed 11 such scoresonly the Chiefs had given up more. Coleman and Allen combined for one more interception than the Eagles had all seasononly the Buccaneers, Dolphins, Steelers and Bengals entered the game with fewer.

It was great to see that because both have been up and down as far as playing time, Asomugha said. That needed to happen for our confidence level. Theyre in there, theyre communicating with the corners, and you want to get some consistency with that. For them to play well today, we know there wont be anymore musical chairsat least in the Dallas game.
E-mail Andy Schwartz at aschwartz@comcastsportsnet.com