Bradley Fletcher, Cary Williams finally get off the schneid

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Monday morning, we posted the latest edition of Reuben Frank's 25 points.

Point No. 4 was this:

4. Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams have played better the last few weeks, but will these guys ever pick off a pass? Eagles corners do not have an interception this year, and the Eagles have faced 446 regular-season consecutive pass attempts without an interception from a starting corner. That’s 12 games and part of a 13th. Look at the list of NFL players with an interception this year, and there’s a Bradley in there (Roby) and a Williams (Tramon), but no Bradley Fletcher or Cary Williams. Has to happen one of these days…. Maybe.

One of these days ... as in Monday.

Less than two minutes into the Eagles' 45-21 pounding of the Panthers, Cam Newton looked for Rookie of the Year candidate Kelvin Benjamin, but Cary Williams picked him off for his 10th career interception (including playoffs) and fourth as an Eagle.

"It felt good man. It felt really good to get that," Williams said. "It didn't feel good to give up two (touchdowns) at the end — a lot of things going on, but other than that, it is what it is. It just was a play. But it felt good to get the interception, the first one of the season. Hopefully I can build on that next week and get another one."

That comes Sunday in a highly-anticipated showdown at Lambeau Field against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, who are also coming off a lopsided victory in prime time. The Packers destroyed the Bears on Sunday Night Football, 55-14.

"They were very productive out there," Fletcher said. "Their offense is really good. Rodgers is playing great right now, and we're definitely going to have to have a good performance out there on the defensive end to have a chance to win."

But we have the rest of the week to discuss that. Back to Monday night.

Williams' interception was one of a litany of defensive highlights against Carolina. The Eagles had three interceptions — matching their total entering the game (all by safety Malcolm Jenkins) — and five takeaways. They also had nine sacks and forced two fumbles.

Casey Matthews' forced fumble on the game's first series extended the Eagles' streak of consecutive games with a takeaway to 22, their longest since 1995. The Eagles held Benjamin to three receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns, but 61 of those yards and both TDs (the aforementioned two at the end) came in garbage time. 

Asked to name his favorite defensive play, Williams didn't cite his own.

"I'm going to go with Brad Fletcher's pick-6," he said.

Late in the second quarter, Fletcher had a ball thrown right to him, and he returned it 34 yards for his first career touchdown. It was his ninth career interception, third as an Eagle, and gave the Eagles a 31-7 lead.

"When you get a lead like that early in the game, you know they gotta throw the ball to get back into it," Fletcher said. "We knew we were going to have opportunities and we were able to make plays."

It was also the Eagles' ninth non-offensive touchdown of the season, breaking the single-season franchise record of eight set in 1952.

The sixth-year veteran couldn't remember the last time he scored a touchdown.

"Been a while," Fletcher said.

It was the first time both Eagles starting corners had an interception in the same game since Nov. 13, 2011 against Arizona, when Asante Samuel and Nnamdi Asomugha did it in a 21-17 loss.

Nate Allen ended Carolina's next possession with his first interception of the season. The Eagles' three interceptions were their most in a game since Oct. 6 of last season against the Giants at the Meadowlands.

"It felt good," Williams said. "It felt like we were in a great rhythm and communication — we did pretty well. It was great to see guys out there having fun and flying around."

Especially up front. The Eagles are now second in the league in sacks with 32, two behind the Buffalo Bills. Their nine sacks were their most in a game since 2008 against Pittsburgh, when they also had nine, and two shy of the team record, when they took down Troy Aikman 11 times in 1991.

"Our front seven, they're playing as good as anyone in the league," Fletcher said, "and we're very happy to have a group like that up front as a secondary player."

Williams was very happy, period.

"It's my first time being a part of something like that," Williams said. "It's special. We've got guys creating great camaraderie, loving each other and playing for one another and playing for that emblem on the chest. It's great to see that."

Culture beats scheme.

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