Anytime a team goes from a 4-11-1 record to 9-8 with a trip to the postseason to boot, some things had to go well along the way.
One of the season’s most pleasant surprises was the play of slot cornerback Avonte Maddox, who Pro Football Focus labeled as the “most improved Eagle” of the 2021 season.
PFF Grade change from 2020 to 2021: 37.8 → 71.0 (+33.2)
Maddox was moved exclusively to outside corner for 2020, and it went poorly, as evidenced by his 37.8 PFF grade. In 2021, Maddox moved to the slot where he belongs and saw a drastic improvement.