Hanson making a difference in slot

You could tell the difference almost immediately. The secondary just looked different. More competitive. More cohesive. More organized.

There was one difference.

Joselio Hanson.

It took an injury to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for Hanson to get his latest opportunity to play, but finally back in his old slot cornerback spot Sunday night, Hanson had an outstanding game in the Eagles 17-10 win over the Giants in East Rutherford.

You dont have to watch a whole lot of film to realize that Hanson is better suited to playing slot corner than Rodgers-Cromartie, who is fast and was a Pro Bowl outside corner in Arizona but was miscast here as a nickel before he suffered a high ankle sprain last week against his former team.

Even Hanson, humble and soft-spoken, admits the Eagles are better off with him in the slot: I think so. Just my experience. Ive been doing this my whole career.

In an age of specialization, Hanson has found his niche. Hes not quite as fast as the NFLs top outside corners, but if you need somebody to play inside, against tight ends, fullbacks or slot receivers, Hansons your guy.

It was obvious Sunday against the Giants, and its obvious every time he gets a chance to play. Hanson needs to be on the field on clear passing situations.

And until Sunday, he wasnt.

No surprise the Eagles got their most consistent effort of this shaky season from their embattled secondary.

It really felt good to get out there, when you have an impact on the game, Hanson said. I felt like if I could play more plays at the nickel spot I think we could have a better impact. Before I was playing about at the most 10 plays so I got a lot more this game.

One of the reasons there was so much speculation about Asante Samuel being traded was the return of Hanson, who the Eagles cut in September and re-signed four days later.

Conventional wisdom said the Eagles could save more than 5 million by trading Samuel, then move Rodgers-Cromartie back to his natural outside position with Nnamdi Asomugha and install Hanson in his old slot position.

Instead, Hanson sat and watched for most of the first nine weeks of the season. On the rare occasions that he did get to playin the Dallas game, when he helped shut down Jason Wittenhe was effective.

Its tough, man, he said. You want to play. You always want to play, to get on the field.

The first couple games, I felt like there were a couple plays out there I could have made in the slot that somebody with more experience like me would have made.

Not knocking anybody else. Its just that I have a lot more experience at playing certain plays.

There were still a few issues in the secondary Sunday night, mainly on the Giants fourth-quarter touchdown drive. But the Eagles held the NFLs 11th-ranked offense to just one touchdown, which isnt bad for a defense that began the day ranked 29th in the NFL in TD passes allowed.

It felt good, Hanson said. It felt like it was right and everybody played together well. Me and Asante were back out there together. Asante loves it when Im out there. We play well off each other. Getting to play with Nnamdi is great, too.

Were just gonna keep getting better playing together, and hopefully we can get a lot more reps together and we can get better.

What happens when Rodgers-Cromartie comes back? That wont be for a few weeks, and Hanson is hoping to make the Eagles decision a tough one.

I want to do that, he said. As a competitor, I want to keep having great games. Do it again. Want to ball out and make it hard for them.

What makes a strong slot corner?

Youve got to be tough, youve got to tackle, Hanson said. Youve got to be a great thinker, thinking on the run. ... I love it. I feel like I know what offenses are trying to do. I really understand it.

Hanson played at Texas Tech with Patriots Pro Bowl receiver Wes Welker, who hell probably be covering a lot on Sunday, when the 4-6 Eagles face the 7-3 Patriots at the Linc.

Hanson began his NFL career with the 49ers in 2004, but it wasnt until he joined the Eagles in 2006 after a year out of football that defensive coordinator Jim Johnson moved him into the slot.

My first game here, we played the Houston Texans the first game of the season, and Lito (Sheppard) went out, and we only had four corners on the roster, so I had to go in and play slot, he said. I didnt know what I was doing.

His next chance came in November of 2007, when former Eagle James Thrash of all people burned Will James for four catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of an Eagles-Redskins game at FedEx Field.

Johnson benched James at halftime and inserted Hanson, who limited Thrash to one seven-yard reception in the second half. The Eagles came back from a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to win.

Yeah, Will James, Thrash kind of got him in the first half, they put me in and we came back, so I had the job the rest of the year, he said. In 08, we had Asante, Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, Ahhh, OK, here we go again, wait for another chance. Finally got in in the Thanksgiving game and got an interception (off Kurt Warner).

Hanson stayed put until this summer, when the Eagles released him to make room for DRC.

They re-signed him a few days before the opener but slashed his pay. Instead of earning 1.88 million this year, 2.7 million next year and 3.1 million in 2013, hes due to make just 700,000 in 2011 and 825,000 next year.

Thats a 67 percent pay cut over 2011 and 2012.

Tough year, man, he said. Weve been losing games. Started out bad. I played well last year, thought this year would have been even better. Got cut, had to take a pay cutthat was tough. But thats life.

When I go out there on the field, Ive got to do my job no matter what. I dont want to look bad. Even if Im making nothing, I dont want to look bad.

E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com