It was a forgettable game for Nate Allen.
The good thing is, hes already forgotten about it.
Allen, the second-year safety out of South Florida, experienced what was probably his worst game as a pro during the Eagles 38-20 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
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He missed tackles, bit on play-actions and plain got beat a few times. The worst came when Wes Welker blew past him after he was fooled on a play-action fake. By the time Welker scampered into the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown, Allen wasnt even in sight. Thats how bad the day was for Allen.
But he doesnt have time to dwell on the loss or even on his bad performance. The Eagles have a quick turnaround and theyll need Allen to be ready on Thursday night when they take on the Seahawks in Seattle.
It was a tough game, Allen said. We just have to learn from it and keep moving forward. Thats all you can do, get ready for this week. Its tough at first. You get over it. You get a practice in and its onto the next game.
Even with the poor performance, head coach Andy Reidwithout hesitation on Tuesdaysaid that Allen is the starter, even with rookie second-round pick Jaiquawn Jarrett waiting on the bench.
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Fellow starting safety Kurt Coleman, although just in his second year also, is a natural leader on and off the field. He made sure to talk to Allen about his poor game.
I told him even during the game. I have all the faith in Nate, Coleman said on Tuesday. Nates a special player. Ive seen him make plays. He continuously makes plays out there. The proof is in the pudding.
Youre not always going to have a perfect day. But I think the way you really rebound is how you do the next game. Nates a positive guy. I know hes going to be fine when we go out to Seattle.
If anyone knows how important it is to rebound from a poor performance, its Coleman. He was burned the first time the Eagles faced the Giants (a 29-16 loss) and was actually benched in favor of Nate Allen.
After two weeks of sitting on the bench, Coleman finally got a chance to start again and replaced Jarrad Page. Against the Redskins, Coleman became the 11th player in franchise history to turn in a three-interception game.
The best way to judge someones character is when theyre going through trials and tribulationsColeman said. We learn from our losses. We know what you have to correct. You cant hang your head on a loss too long its going to add onto more losses. We dont want that.
Last season as a rookie, Allen started the first 13 games of the season before tearing his patellar tendon against the Giants. He was the first Eagle to record three interceptions and two sacks as a rookie.
This season, however, Allen knee injury lingered, which led to not starting the first three weeks of the season. Then, against Chicago, he suffered a concussion and missed the Arizona game.
Even with all that, Allen wasnt willing to blame his injuries for his poor production. And although he says his knee is sore every now and then, it isnt a big problem.
Im not going to blame it on anything, Allen said. It is what it is. We are where we are in the season. Im just going to keep playing game by game.
Unlike Coleman, who was benched after his worst performance of the season, Allen will get a short week to prepare and correct his mistakes with a primetime, nationally televised game against the Seahawks on Thursday.
The most important thing, he said, is to just forget about the Patriots game and move on.
Thats the game of football, Allen said. Thats how it works. Youre going to have some games like that. You just need to bounce back from it and keep moving.
E-mail Dave Zangaro at dzangaro@comcastsportsnet.com