The Eagles' defensive star decides the game against the Jaguars

PHILADELPHIA – The genesis of the Eagles' 28-23 victory over Jacksonville on Sunday began in early August at Lincoln Financial Field.

That's when Nakobe Dean's skills in space were put to the test by the shifty Kenny Gainwell during Philadelphia's only open practice of the summer.

Those who were there saw Gainwell execute an Allen Iverson-esque crossover move on Dean before the RB and his good friend Jalen Hurts doubled up with a stutter-and-so-wheel route that left Dean on the wrong Foot caught.

Dean did what one was supposed to do by practicing and learned from adversity.

Fast forward to Sunday, when Doug Pederson, trailing 22-0, fired his shot for an improbable upset victory, putting the ball in the hands of Trevor Lawrence and D'Ernest Johnson against Dean in space with the Jags at the 13-yard line. Eagles line.

To be fair, it was a good bet.

Lawrence's throw missed the goal, was knocked to the ground and was too far inside for Johnson, who had difficulty tracking the poorly thrown football. Dean, on the other hand, was all in and brought the ball to the top as if he were the offensive player, practically ending the game with the help of a winning formation.

“It was just nice that everyone came over and congratulated me. “It was good to call the game,” Dean said. “I mean I didn’t do much else in that game, I don’t know how many tackles I had in that game.”

It certainly wasn't a typical Dean game, a player who usually goes downhill and has a problem with space. He finished the game with just two assisted tackles, but had two pass breakups and the INT.

“Other guys on defense had big games. “I know Zack (Baun) went crazy, Coop (Cooper DeJean) another big fourth-and-short stop,” Dean said. “So, you know, a lot of guys were flying around on defense and we were making a lot of plays.”

Dean and Baun teamed up to create a turnover in the Week 8 win at Cincinnati and decided to keep all the turnover balls in the linebacker room so Dean's game-winner would be there.

As the quarterback and the starting point of the Eagles defense, Dean knew that Jacksonville could attack him so hard.

“It’s a piece I knew they had,” Dean said. “They have good backs who can run good routes. I know Saquon (Barkley) scored with it early in the game, a play that was somewhat similar to the one from the backfield – a stutter and go. I got beaten by Kenny Gainwell in training camp.

“I had seen it quite often. I remember it from college, but I got hit with it a few times in practice. So I kind of waited for it. It was an opportune time, the red zone was high. They got it right and I just had to make a play.”

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