SB Nation User Blog: cavortingEagle

More thoughts on the Defense

cavortingEagle — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:23:43 -0000

GCobb has a couple of notes up today about the Bird's defense. In one, he reminds us that the Eagles were last in the league in turnovers last year. In the other, he takes a look at the defensive assistants. I've spent some time considering the defense recently myself and noticed some things about Jim Johnson's defense last year compared to years past that seemed oddly incongruous.

At first glance the Eagles defense last year seemed to be pretty good. They were 9th in the league in points allowed, 10th in total yards, 7th against the run and 18th against the pass. They even were tied for 9th in the league in sacks. The thing is though, when you compare the Eagles to the rest of the league they look pretty good, but when you look back and compare the Eagles last year with Jim Johnson's defenses of years past...

Yahoo sports keeps data going back to 2001 from which I extracted the Eagles total defensive statistics for the last 8 seasons.

Things that jump out to me from this table are:

Turnovers: Not only were the Eagles last in the league last year, it was the Eagles worst performance in the last 8 seasons.
Passing Yards per Game: worst performance in 8 seasons.
Rushing Yards per Game: best performance in 8 seasons.
Tackles: 654 total tackles? 81 fewer than in 2006?...

Regarding turnovers, last year was bad as far as Eagles' defenses go, but I am fairly confident that the addition of Asante Samuel and a more aggressive linebacking corps will help with the situation. For that matter, Asante, Lito and Sheldon should help an awful lot with the passing numbers too. I expect to see the rushing yards per game numbers go up next season though. The Birds probably won't be as bad as '06 or '03, but I'll trade a few yards rushing for a better pass defense.

The tackle number is strange. I think it is actually the result of the offense. Last year the Eagles averaged almost 31 minutes of TOP per game. The easy assumption then is the D faced fewer plays because the offense was on the field longer, but it could also be that in games the Eagles were trailing, the opposing offense took more time between plays of their own.

Turnovers and a stingy pass defense have been hallmarks of this group throughout the years and last year, neither one was a component of the defense that the Birds fielded. We're pinning our hopes on a high dollar free agent and a dissatisfied and injury prone cornerback to bring back some of the secondary's respectability. The linebackers are young, but full of promise. With luck, they'll all validate the coaches trust.

Go Green

cavortingEagle — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:36:58 -0000

The Boston Herald today ran some remarkable statistics - ostensibly the article was about the NFL's environmental initiatives, but much of the article was dedicated to the Laurie's Go Green program started in 2003.

As part of the Go Green program, the Eagles have:

Offered to compensate organization employees the cost difference in using wind power versus conventional power at their homes. Participating employees are eliminating 24 tons of carbon dioxide each year.

Installed a solar electricity generation system at NovaCare Center, the team’s training complex.

Replaced an estimated 20 tons annually of additional plastic, foam and paper flatware with sustainable-source alternatives.

I've got to say, that for my part at least, the Eagles organization's dedication to sustainable practices is something quite refreshing which I greatly appreciate and I hope that the Eagles continue to find ways to minimize their impact on the planet. Take a look at the article to see what else the Birds are doing and have done.

NFL Total Access - Inside Look at the Philadelphia Eagles

cavortingEagle — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:42:06 -0000

NFL Total Access - Inside Look at the Philadelphia Eagles

If you've got NFL Network and can put up with the videography, Rich Eisen and Co will be breaking down the Birds. Tonight at 7 Eastern. The link above will get you today's full schedule.
Does anybody else think Rich was better as a Sportscenter anchor?

Among kick returners, is Devin Hester already the best ever? - USATODAY.com

cavortingEagle — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:54:06 -0000

Among kick returners, is Devin Hester already the best ever? - USATODAY.com

The ongoing saga of usa today's position rankings has Brian Mitchell #2 all time.

Ruminations about the Eagles Defense

cavortingEagle — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:24:19 -0000

Recently there have been several notes about the Eagles Defense. Mark Eckel wrote this weekend about the linebacking corps, Igglesblog had an interesting take about the defense's supposed speed and Tommy Lawlor had a nice homage to Buddy's 46.

I personally find it easier to come up with defensible things to say about the offense because that is the side of the ball which gets emphasized during network broadcasts. Prior to the snap the camera is focused on the offense and afterward it follows the ball. It's only during shows like NFL Matchup where we get to see any coaches tape showing the whole field.

NFL Network recently rebroadcast last year's Cowboys victory and I rewatched their highlight reel a couple of times. Several plays stuck out. Three of the Eagles eleven interceptions on the season came in that game. Unfortunately one of them resulted in an immediate turnover (screw on your head before buttoning your chinstrap Quintin), the second, Lito Shepard's pick before halftime, led to the games only TD, and and the last, which turned into Brian Westbrook's infamous knee, was Dawkins' only pick of the year. Certainly you can't generalize based upon a sample size of one, but this example sure seems to say something about turnovers.

These plays were great, but one play - a 9 yard pass reception by Jason Witten - was the one that really got me thinking.

We can probably all remember this quote...

"I'm still the same player, but that scheme up in Philly was different. All I've got to say is proof is in the pudding, so I can't even talk about it. Just watch and see."

...but just in case, that was Jevon Kearse soon after resigning with the Titans. Since then he's proven he likes...well, let's not beat a dead horse.

The reason that 9 yard completion to Jason Witten was significant to me was that Trent Cole actually had decent (though not great) coverage on the play. The first watch through I wasn't sure so I rewound the tape a couple of times, and there it was, #58 in coverage. Obviously Jim Johnson had called some kind of zone blitz. Is this why Jevon was unhappy? He was asked to both play the run and drop into coverage? That in addition to his simple pass rushing duties?

Thing is, Jim Johnson does that an awful lot. His defensive ends are regularly asked to roll out and cover the flat or drop back into a zone 10 yards deep. For that matter, JJ will even ask his tackles drop back into coverage. The opposing O-line never knows where the pass rush is coming from or if it's coming at all.

I wonder how many people remember the Giants-Bills Superbowl in January, 1991. That was one of the best games I've ever seen, Bill Parcells controlled the clock with the quintessential power running game and the Giants defense only had to control the Bills offense for 20 minutes. When that defense was on the field, Bill Belichick often lined up with 5 linebackers and only 2 defensive linemen in his front 7. This meant that when one of the Bill's wideouts caught a pass over the middle, there was someone big there to meet them.

How is this Superbowl relevant to today's Eagles then? When I look at the Eagles front seven, I see names like Trent Cole, Bryan Smith, Chris Clemons, and Chris Gocong. These guys are hybrid-type defensive ends that are quick enough to drop into shallow zone coverage but strong and agile enough to create real problems when they rush the passer. They are almost like the outside 'backers the Giants fielded in Superbowl XXV (though certainly none of them resemble the original LT). Supposing we team them with a pair of stout defensive tackles, the Eagles field a base defense that seems - to my mind at least - an awful lot like that 2-5 defense Belichick fielded against the Bills. This could also tend to explain why the Eagles Defense under Jim Johnson has been so good against the pass, but not so stout against the run.

Jaws likes to say, "Points come from the passing game." I think Jim Johnson agrees and designs his defenses to limit the passing game (and thereby points). I wonder if the similarities I see between his defense today and Belichick's then are more than mere coincidence. Whatever the case, I'd really like to see more of the Eagles defense because I sure do find it interesting.

Eagles sign 3d-round pick Smith | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/01/2008

cavortingEagle — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:19:51 -0000

Eagles sign 3d-round pick Smith | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/01/2008

It seems there are still a few people working over at Eagles HQ.
2 to go.

Shawn Andrews #4

cavortingEagle — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:57:45 -0000

from USA Today:

Andrews modeled his game by watching Larry Allen and Will Shields, both likely future Hall of Famers, and the Eagles are reaping the rewards. A starter the last three seasons, Andrews has made the Pro Bowl in his last two campaigns and the Eagles have fielded one of the NFL's top six offenses both years. RB Brian Westbrook has been particularly good over that period, crafting both of his 1,000-yard rushing seasons and producing an NFL-high 2,104 yards from scrimmage in 2007.

Shawn's in the company of Bruce Mathews, Larry Little and Gene Upshaw (he used to play ball you know), not entirely inappropriate if you ask me. Let's keep Shawn healthy, what'd'ya say?

USA Today Player Rankings

cavortingEagle — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:01:36 -0000

USA today is doing a running column on the best players of today versus the best players of the "Superbowl Era" which I assume means since the NFL and AFL started playing each other to figure out which was the best league. It's an interesting serial which brings a new postion every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, giving us 3 more weeks of stuff to discuss.

In their discussion of the Cornerbacks of today and yesterday Asante Samuel shows up as the #3 corner presently and he scores high enough to rank him in the top 5 of the Superbowl Era. I'm not sure that he really deserves to be ranked higher than Michael Haynes, but I'm not really sure that the two can be compared.

via a ssets.philadelphiaeagle s.com

I look forward to the upcoming ranking of Running Backs and Quarterbacks. It'll be interesting to see where Westbrook shows up and whether or not Donovan McNabb gets any votes...

Where Are They Now: RB Brian Mitchell - Philadelphia Eagles

cavortingEagle — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:47:08 -0000

Where Are They Now: RB Brian Mitchell - Philadelphia Eagles

This write up is good, but the video is worth 1000 words. Hopefully the kick return game gets some of this action this year. Of particular note is a Brian Mitchell to Brian Dawkins fake punt/shovel pass/TD that appears toward the end of the video.

Matt Mosely on the Eagles

cavortingEagle — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:59:45 -0000

A couple of days ago, Matt Mosley of Hashmarks busted out with several articles on the NFC East (Philly, Dallas, NYG, Skins). They are all worth reading - know thy enemy know thyself - but we should bear in mind he wants to see controversy where there may not actually be any.

Consider his article on the Birds. The first portion of the article is dedicated to McNabb's health in general and of McNabb's arm in particular.

This time, the problem had lingered for almost a month. In an offense built around McNabb's getting the ball downfield, a recurring shoulder problem sends up major red flags.

That's in direct conflict with Spadaro's assertion that DMac is probably fine:

From what I can ascertain, based on the talk toward the end of the June passing camp and from what I've seen, quarterback Donovan McNabb is finished with his rehab on his right shoulder and is in Arizona. From what I think, everyone concerned with McNabb's shoulder is confident that he is ready to go for training camp. I could be wrong, but that is my perspective.

Mosely also touches on the Eagles pursuit of Randy Moss and LJ's injury rehab (Russian Kettlebells?...). He briefly explores Lito's contract situation and suggests we should have gotten a 3rd round pick for him while he "still had value". Finally, Mosely asks if Reid can bounce back from the tough personal issues of last year:

The Eagles stuck with him through the tough period and he has more motivation than ever to reward them. He knows how important McNabb is to his team's success and he has gone out of his way to make his star quarterback comfortable. McNabb is a fierce competitor, but he's also a sensitive player who reads into every comment. That's why you don't hear a lot people on this coaching staff fawning over Kolb's progress even though he's actually taken some major strides.

In all, Mosely seems to like Philly's chances in the division this year. His article spends a great deal of energy trying to find things that are wrong with the Birds, but finally ends on a positive note. This team should be good - presuming it doesn't get bit by injuries again this year.