It doesn't even have to be the stats when it comes to edge rusher Jaelan Phillips of the Philadelphia Eagles. 

When the Eagles landed Phillips, the idea was for him to come in and get to the quarterback. However, he's also been decent in the run game throughout some of his career, and I think that was on full display against the Green Bay Packers on Monday night. 

Phillips didn’t end up with a sack and might not have filled up the stat sheet, but he was very good and showed exactly why the Eagles went out and landed him. 

In fact, I think this defense has now almost stapled itself as arguably the best in the NFL. If there are some promising signs about what Phillips has done early on, as this was his first game in Philadelphia, it's the fact that he seems like he genuinely wants to be with the Eagles. 

When speaking to reporters after the game, according to NFL.com, he shared the same thoughts that he's been sharing since being traded to the organization. 

"I just felt super grateful," said Phillips, who forced a fumble in the win.

"This is the first time in a while that I've gotten a little emotional before a game. Obviously, this stage, and coming here. It's my first time at Lambeau [Field], walking out through that tunnel. I mean it doesn't get better than that. Definitely grateful. Felt amazing energy from the guys. It was just an air of confidence and everybody played together. We had a great game, honestly, it was super gritty. Grateful to be here for sure.”

There's a lot of football left to be played for Phillips and the Eagles, but this was as good a start as anybody could’ve imagined. 

The offense didn’t show up for Philadelphia on Monday night, but the defense, especially with a new face like Phillips, came out and did exactly what it had to do. 

It'll be intriguing to see how Phillips and the Eagles look moving forward, but this was a great first step and it suggested that things should be fine.