Only Game 1 for Eagles' defense, but an alarming reality

BILL DAVIS is a guy who has been the beneficiary of the doubt throughout his two years as defensive coordinator, and Monday night's 26-24 loss to the Falcons offered further opportunity to afford him such courtesy. But before we attempt to talk ourselves through his unit's 2015 debut, let's start with an observation that nobody can dispute. The Eagles had the second-best defense on the field in its season opener, and for most of the night the competition was not close.

This observation is important because the first best defense on the field belonged to the Falcons, a team that last season was every bit as bad as the Eagles, and arguably worse. They finished last in the NFL in passing yards…