‘The moment is never too big for Q’: How Eagles’ Quinyon Mitchell thrived despite being targeted vs. Packers

The moment wasn’t too big for Quinyon Mitchell. The Philadelphia Eagles rookie was waiting for this day for a long time. 

Mitchell proved to the Eagles that he deserved to be the first rookie cornerback to start for the franchise in Week 1 since 1988. His confidence never wavered as the Green Bay Packers continued to challenge him throughout the night.

“The moment is never too big for Q,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said after Friday’s win over the Packers. “We were so comfortable taking this guy because he’s not fazed.”

Mitchell was one of nine players in the NFL targeted 10-plus times, and one of just two rookies in Week 1 to face that many targets. He allowed five completions for 86 yards and had two pass breakups in his debut.

Jordan Love and the Packers made it a priority to target Mitchell. Love went 5 of 10 for 86 yards with a 56.3 passer rating when he targeted Mitchell as the primary defender. Of those 10 players that faced 10-plus targets in Week 1, Mitchell was third in passer rating against (Saints defensive back Paulson Adebo and Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson were lower). 

Mitchell was slated to begin his rookie season in the slot in an attempt to get him on the field at all times. Those plans changed when Isaiah Rodgers was ruled out with a hand injury. Mitchell was moved to the outside opposite of Darius Slay and stayed there.

The target was on Mitchell’s back. Slay was targeted once during the game. Mitchell faced 10 times that amount. 

“I’m a rookie,” Mitchell said after the win. “They weren’t going at Slay, they were going at me.”

The high expectations have been placed on Mitchell since he was holding his own against A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in training camp. If Mitchell is having success against two of the best wideouts in the game, why wouldn’t he be able to replicate that success in the regular season? 

Mitchell passed that first test with flying colors. 

“The moment is never too big for him,” Sirianni said. “He’s just very calm and very confident. Which you need to be as a corner. You need to have short memories, you need to be confident in yourself. Because you’re on an island out there the entire game. At times during the game. I know there are times where you have help over the top and this and that.

“I just thought his poise in his first NFL game, not surprising. He doesn’t get too up, he doesn’t get too down. And you saw that during camp. … The moment is not too big for him. He’s very calm and poised when the ball is in the air and it’s coming his way.”