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NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell watches as much NFL recreation movie as anyone. All through the season, Cosell will be a part of Shutdown Nook to share his observations on the groups, schemes and personnel from across the league.
The predominant purpose it’s so powerful to defend the Philadelphia Eagles is on most plays the quarterback has 4 or 5 choices, and picks the best one depending on what the defense does after the snap.
Eagles quarterback Michael Vick may hand it off to the again or preserve it on the learn possibility. If the protection comes up, there could be a quick pop cross to the tight finish accessible. If strain comes from the sting or the defense pinches in, there’s a bubble display screen he can go to. If all else fails, there is likely to be a slant route on the facet opposite the bubble display.
The Eagles don’t name one play and run it. The quarterback checks how a defense is lining up earlier than the snap, then runs a play with multiple options. Opponents can’t defend 4 or five things directly. The protection’s reaction tells the quarterback what to do. Theoretically, the defender will likely be incorrect it doesn’t matter what he decides.
Kelly’s offense creates some distinctive conflicts that haven’t been extensively seen within the NFL before. They have been on full display as Philadelphia built a 33-7 lead at Washington on Monday night.
The Eagles’ offense is built on many things – pace, tempo, misdirection, deception and spacing – however very basically, it’s built on numbers and math. The Eagles will assault you the place you’re out-manned.
On the second play of the sport, Vick hit tight finish Brent Celek on a quick cross for a 28-yard gain. On the second play of Philadelphia’s second sequence, Vick handed off to LeSean McCoy, who ran for 10 yards. It was the very same play both occasions. The only difference was Vick’s decision after the snap, which was predicated on the motion of Redskins’ center linebacker London Fletcher. When Fletcher moved a technique, the Eagles went the other.
Again, theoretically, the defender will be incorrect no matter what he decides.
The Eagles use deception and move to create uncertainty and a numbers benefit. Fletcher, who’s in his sixteenth NFL season, had no really feel for what the Eagles were doing, He was guessing. It’s robust when the Eagles spread the field like they do. In Philadelphia’s first 55 plays, from the time the sport began to McCoy’s landing run that give the Eagles a 33-7 lead, the Eagles used two tight ends just twice.
Here’s one other instance of the stress the Eagles put on a defense. On the third play of the game, Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson blitzed from the slot. So the Eagles ran a bubble display to that side, to DeSean Jackson. Jackson picked up sixteen yards. The bubble screen concept to the wide aspect of the sphere created every kind of issues for the Redskins protection, and that is a part of the rationale the defense was reactive as an alternative of proactive. Then when the Redskins overplayed the bubble screen, the Eagles beat them for an easy landing.
On that play from the 28-yard line, a play-action fake to the correct displaced the two stacked inside linebackers, who stepped towards the faux. The Eagles showed a bubble display to the left – the Redskins had been burned on that before and have been going to try to cease it. That bubble display screen motion compromised their coverage when the protection shifted to defend that facet. Riley Cooper ran a vertical route on the fitting sideline to occupy the protection on that facet. So when Celek ran a seam route down the center, the center of the protection had cleared out, and Vick hit him for a touchdown.
That was very similar to a play the Broncos ran for his or her first landing last Thursday, when a bubble screen faux opened up the middle for tight finish Julius Thomas. The difference is, the Broncos’ play was referred to as before the snap, and the Eagles’ play was based on what the defense gave them after the snap. What the Eagles do is take the notion of the pre-snap audible, in which the quarterback can try of a nasty play primarily based on what the protection is displaying, and convey it to the subsequent step of reacting to what the defense does after the snap.
Pace additionally helped. Through the primary collection of the game, which lasted 10 performs, the Redskins did not make one substitution towards Philadelphia’s uptempo assault. Then on the second collection, the Redskins changed both of their massive defensive tackles. By operating no-huddle, opponents don’t have time to maneuver around and disguise anything on defense. They’ve to worry about simply lining up earlier than the snap comes. That makes these multiple reads for the quarterback simpler to course of.
It wasn’t an ideal night time for the Eagles. The offensive line had some safety issues, and rookie right tackle Lane Johnson particularly had some mental busts (though as an entire he did a very good job in cross safety towards Washington’s Ryan Kerrigan). The Redskins increased their blitz frequency and press protection as the sport progressed and had some success, which is a cause the Eagles offense wasn’t as effective within the second half.
Do I think defensive coaches will get a better handle of the way to defend the Eagles as they see Philadelphia’s offense extra? Absolutely. That doesn’t mean Kelly received’t have any answers to those adjustments.
Greg Cosell’s Spotlight Team: The Philadelphia Eagles, and why Chip Kelly’s offense is so tough to defend
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