Ranaan Review: What Is Wrong With The Eagles Defense?
by JasonB on Oct 4, 2011 12:20 PM EDT
in Philadelphia Eagles News
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Print[Note by JasonB, 09/20/11 10:54 AM EDT ] This year, veteran Eagles beat writer and current Comcast sports NFL columnist Jordan Raanan will be joining us every week with a review of the previous Sunday's Eagles game. This week he offers his notes and thoughts on the Eagles loss to the 49ers
What's wrong with the Eagles defense? It's the question that has been lingering since the opener in St. Louis and still doesn't have an answer.
One strong theory is it's the linebackers, where Casey Matthews took a brunt of the criticism the first three weeks. So the Eagles made some some changes, shuffling the deck before the Giants loss and adding a new piece (Brian Rolle) full-time for the Week 4 crumble against the 49ers.
After breaking down every play of the loss to San Francisco, Rolle wasn't perfect, but he also wasn't the problem. In fact, for the most part, he was an asset, consistently exploding through the line of scrimmage, something we hadn't seen much of this year from the Eagles' weakside linebacker.
Anyway, here's the complete breakdown of the Eagles' latest WILL linebacker:
Snaps: 50
Solo Tackles: 5
Passes Defended: 1
Penalties: 1
According to my grading system, Rolle had six good plays in the first half, which easily led all linebackers and safeties. His only negatives were a failure to get off blocks sufficiently on a pair of runs to the Eagles' strongside.
In the second half, it was more of a mixed bag. For the most part, he covered the 49ers' running backs (Kendall Hunter and Frank Gore) successfully. He also played downhill and made his way into the backfield on several running plays, stuffing one running play behind the line of scrimmage -- rare for an Eagles LB this season. Unfortunately, that quality play was negated by a monumental facemask penalty on Rolle in the fourth quarter. Also, twice in the third quarter, Rolle didn't get to the sideline quick enough in zone coverage and once he compounded the original mistake with a missed tackle.
Overall, I'd give Rolle a B- for the game. He made some mistakes but was hardly the biggest culprit on a defense that once again collapsed late.
So where does the blame lie? Once again, the Eagles' middle linebacker and safeties struggled to make plays. Plus, there was an inexcusable breakdown on Josh Morgan's 30-yard touchdown. Credit that one to new defensive coordinator Juan Castillo.
The Eagles blitzed on the play, bringing three extra men (Jarrad Page, Jamar Chaney and Nnamdi Asomugha) and seven total. That left four 49ers open in a defense that seemed incoherent at best. Rolle was left in the middle to cover three men. It appeared one of the blitzers attacked when he was supposed to be in coverage in the middle of the field. Instead, Rolle was left alone and the play resulted in a touchdown.
As for the problems against the run, it was a tough game for Chaney, who was also beat on Vernon Davis' touchdown in the third quarter. Chaney failed to get to the sideline quickly enough on a pair of runs and overran several others.
He didn't get much help from his safeties either. Page and Nate Allen in particular were noticeably inconspicuous most of the afternoon despite an effort by Castillo to place them closer to the line of scrimmage pre-snap. Still, there were no impact plays by the safeties in the run game.
The Eagles did change their approach slightly on Sunday, playing a lot more nickel (5 DBs) and dime (6 DBs) than in previous weeks. That put Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Joselio Hanson on the field more and Moise Fokou less. The Eagles were in nickel and dime defenses on 29 snaps. Their base defense was on the field for just 25, despite the 49ers not being a spread-you-out, sling-it-around offense. And Nnamdi Asomugha spent a large majority of the game on the inside keeping an eye on tight end Davis, who had four catches on six targets for 45 yards.
Still, despite a solid defensive first half (three points and just 153 total yards allowed), the afternoon ended as another defensive failure. The Eagles allowed close to 300 yards and 21 points in the second half alone. Blame it on a comedy of errors, but mostly from the middle linebacker, safeties and defensive coordinator.
Other Notable Observations:
• The Eagles and their offensive line did a good job limiting the hits on their quarterback. Michael Vick took 15 total hits in the game, with seven coming on scrambles. In comparison, Vick took 21 hits in St. Louis (16 on passing plays alone) and 14 and 15, respectively, against the Falcons and Giants in games he left early.
• Two out of seven in the red zone (29 percent) is never going to get the job done. Out of the 14 plays run in the red zone, the Eagles threw nine passes (not including Ronnie Brown's pseudo-toss). LeSean McCoy had two carries (one negated by a penalty), Brown two and Vick one on a scramble. Not one of the nine throws were to the end zone.
• The Eagles were at the 1-inch line on the run-pass option Brown disaster. Why would you ever need a run-pass option from the 1-inch line?
• Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg tried misdirection or tricky on five of their 14 red zone plays.
• The Eagles used two tight end formations six times in the first half. Three went for big plays, including Clay Harbor's first quarter touchdown.
• Steve Smith was not targeted despite being on the field for more than a handful of plays.
• Philip Hunt, who should see extended action with Trent Cole injured, had a tackle and was mostly a non-factor despite receiving action on multiple series.
• Asomugha finished with four tackles after being blanked the previous week. He did, however, get beat for a big gain on a double move by Michael Crabtree in the third quarter. Asomugha also missed a tackle downfield on the play.
• Rookie Aldon Smith had three quarterback hurries, 1 1/2 sacks and a tackle for a loss mostly against left guard Evan Mathis and now-injured left tackle Jason Peters.
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I have a Giant's-fan friend
Who told me this summer that we were really going to miss Stew Bradley.
I was high on Chaney at the time, and assumed he’d keep the MLB job that he had finished last season (he’s back there now, after a hiatus to Sam)
I didn’t want to name drop “Jamar Chaney” b/c he’s an unknown outside Eagles nation…and while Stew wasn’t good last year, and he was injured in ’09…my friend was right. We could really use him in the middle of this defense.
"EFF YOU, WE'RE WINNING ANYWAY!!!!!!" (Bye, Dawk)
3-4 and Stew
are not mixing well, I think it’s the scheme, he just looks lost on the field, but yes, he’d fit right in with this disaster of a LB core.
by BKing in the AZ on Oct 4, 2011 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions
We could use 09 Bradley yes. Not 2010 or 2011 Bradley.
Follow Bleeding Green Nation on Twitter & Facebook. Did you get your copy of the 2011 Eagles Annual yet?
forget ’09 Bradley…I want ’08 Bradley
"If I can get you to think twice, I'm in your head."
-Brian Dawkins
Nnamdi, Asante, DRC; The Three Graces...charm, beauty, and creativity... Unfortunately their graces are wasted because of one Juan Castillo.
***OFFICIALLY ON THE FIRE ANDY REID BANDWAGON***
stewart bradley was pretty good against the run but horrible against the pass. Watch the Nfc championship game vs the cardinals
I was there
I live here in Arizona. Stew held his own,but I believe Beanie Wells was a rook that yr. All I remember is screaming at Andy to double Fitz!! They would line up,and the DB’s helmet was lined up with his chest. DUDE IS A BEAST! Plus it was Dawks last game with us,so I will always remember it. Plus the $800 seats killed me!
"I brought two kegs,one of beer,one of gunpowder" -WARCLOUD
by Dunta Is A PUNK on Oct 4, 2011 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
I hear you
I was there as well, and Fitz was just killing us that first half, that flea flicker almost ripped my heart out. But seeing Bdawk’s last game was worth the 400 bucks on the seat, that Desean Jackson td over his future teammate didnt hurt either.
yeah
the DeSean bobble was nerve racking as hell!! Good times tho
"I brought two kegs,one of beer,one of gunpowder" -WARCLOUD
by Dunta Is A PUNK on Oct 4, 2011 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Probabaly
THE BEST GAME EVER PLAYED IN THAT STADIUM
"I brought two kegs,one of beer,one of gunpowder" -WARCLOUD
by Dunta Is A PUNK on Oct 4, 2011 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions
It was The Edge's last hoorah
and Tim Hightower, not Wells. They took Wells 31 overall ahead of LeSean McCoy that draft after they went to the Super Bowl.
by BKing in the AZ on Oct 4, 2011 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
How much did all of us overrate Jamar Chaney before the season? He hasn’t played anything like he did last season, I wonder if it was due to him having fresher legs then others
I think it was the scheme of the DTs
When our DTs ran a 2-gap scheme, they occupied blockers and waiting for the run to come at them
That freed up the LBs to pursue hard without blockers in their faces. This wide-9 calls for exceptional LBs that can get off blocks and diagnose plays. We don’t have those guys.
"EFF YOU, WE'RE WINNING ANYWAY!!!!!!" (Bye, Dawk)
by jalarsen1 on Oct 4, 2011 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WIDE NINE IS NOT WORKING FOR US
This wide-9 calls for exceptional LBs that can get off blocks and diagnose plays. We don’t have those guys.
It IS a problem…. we can’t just ignore it and say, its not the wide-9’s fault…its the LBs and the DBs…. well guss what, you need all of those components to make a system work…if you dont have all those components, it doesnt matter if youre getting 5 sacks a game because you are getting beaten over and over for big plays and big scores….
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions
same old story
trying the same stuff that did not work before, expecting different results…Reid need brain transplant!
We've never tried the Wide-9 before...
What are you talking about?
Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!
I'm aware that Washburn runs the Wide-9.
But before this year Washburn was not on our coaching staff. What do you mean by read up on Washburn?
Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!
I never said the wide-9 isn't at fault
I said the 2-gap system is what made Chaney look good last year.
The wide-9 has exposed him as a weak player
"EFF YOU, WE'RE WINNING ANYWAY!!!!!!" (Bye, Dawk)
He also only started what? 2 or 3 games last year?
Follow Bleeding Green Nation on Twitter & Facebook. Did you get your copy of the 2011 Eagles Annual yet?
I feel like I definitely pointed that out a lot
when people were penciling Chaney in to definitely be good. Not that I want a pat on the back for that ish … I was hoping he’d be good too.
Still waiting for the Eagles to Bring it Home for Jerome.
After reading this
How can anyone really think that this Defense will “turn it around” this season? Its makes me sick to my stomach…..
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 12:35 PM EDT reply actions
Because Jarrad Page is good.
Follow @PhillyFollower
Writer at Iggles Nest
"It just goes to show that everything you want in life, you get. And you can’t work for it. It just comes to you." - Michael Scott
by PhiladelphiaEagles on Oct 4, 2011 12:45 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
lol
“O”
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
A wind up doll is better than Page.
"If I can get you to think twice, I'm in your head."
-Brian Dawkins
Nnamdi, Asante, DRC; The Three Graces...charm, beauty, and creativity... Unfortunately their graces are wasted because of one Juan Castillo.
***OFFICIALLY ON THE FIRE ANDY REID BANDWAGON***
Jarrad Page is the third worst safety in the NFL...
…behind Allen and Coleman.
Q: What do a leaky tampon and Sean McDermott's defense have in common?
A: They are equally ineffective in the red zone.
Ed Wade=all the farm system the Phillies will ever need.
by EvilBanner on Oct 4, 2011 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
What about Jarrett?
Is he going to see the field this year? I saw him in a couple of ST plays. Not sure if he represents an upgrade over Page, but all the scouts say he is a “hard hitter.” I want to see him knock some helmets off in the run game.
Scrapping this zone as our base D might be a decent start…
NFL, I am no longer disappoint.
by rich p on Oct 4, 2011 12:54 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Seriously fuck zone defense. Why play zone when you have so many good corners? You don’t go get good corners to play fucking zone. You play man press and let safeties ball hawk over the top.
The Jruth shall be told.
+1
nnamdi and DRC are great at man and you let Asante work the QB;s eyes like he is good at, play a nickel period, and put Jarrett up in the box, the dude can hit so let him sneak up on running downs and you fix it, that simple yet coaches that get paid ridiculous money dont see it
by DcEagles29 on Oct 4, 2011 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Can Jarret hit?
I think he’d have seen the field if that were the case. Big hits against MAC opponents are caught tackles against NFL size and speed…
by ChillBillinChina on Oct 4, 2011 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Cornerback: You don’t need a press man-to-man cover guy like Nnamdi to be good in this scheme. You need a good zone CB that can press at the LOS, be disciplined, good tackler, and good at run support. Nnamdi is great at man-to-man but not that great in zone. At times, he looked lost. On top of that we could get two good players at his price.
2011-12 Eagles Defense: Moving on from JJ’s Zone Blitz Scheme.
Do I know more than Juan Castillo?
Yup!
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
We signed Nnamdi to a big contract – he’s not going anywhere.
So that means the Eagles have to change their philosophy, no?
The Jruth shall be told.
100%
Again need to let him and DRC play the outside man to man and let Asante rome around and key on the QB’s movement and eyes. He is best at that. This can work and China Jarrett can hit, let him in to try this and see if he can spark that D, what can it hurt at this point,
What difference would it make if you did?
"Even those invested in the idea that the journey is the destination may feel they've taken a train to nowhere." - Terry Lawson
You certainly do.
But so does the homeless guy I saw earlier trying to drunkenly rape the mailbox.
Q: What do a leaky tampon and Sean McDermott's defense have in common?
A: They are equally ineffective in the red zone.
Ed Wade=all the farm system the Phillies will ever need.
by EvilBanner on Oct 4, 2011 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
red'd
That is probably the best option right now.
by philiafan14364 on Oct 4, 2011 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions
in this picture it looks like they are trying to rape Gore
by con-vick on Oct 4, 2011 12:56 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Its a failed trick play
Gore hides the ball in his rectum but the Eagles are not fooled!
by Musiccitynorm on Oct 4, 2011 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions
no one should ever say "swagga". ever.
Ever.
I would like to thank my hands for being so great, for allowing me to type this post.
by corn on the kolb on Oct 4, 2011 10:48 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I also thought Rolle held up well for a rookie
Not perfect, but not awful. Still, teams don’t know his tendencies yet, and now that there’s film you guys will have to see if he can sustain it.
We see this with our rookie MLB Greg Jones, forced into action to replace Jon Goff. Jones is good against the run up the middle but not as sharp when he has to take angles or go sideline to sideline, and he not quite there for pass coverage yet. He gets subbed out in favor of a three safety nickel set on likely passing downs. Jones had a good first couple of weeks but was less consistent yesterday.
Question, re: Steve Smith, since you watched the film closely:
Is he getting separation? I know he’s on the field, but his strength was always super sharp routes to move the sticks or over the medium middle, and that’s precision work. He was also always great with hot reads and finding the holes in zones, and Eli always knew where he would be.
Giants fans were skeptical that he would be as sharp with his cuts for separation first year after microfracture surgery since we saw Kenny Phillips lose some of that himself. So, my question is, is Smith just not quite familiar enough to Vick yet to be exploited for positive yards, or is he not quite getting the separation yet, or maybe some of both?
Thanks.
@SpittyP Spencer Paysinger Getting cursed @, bottles thrown at our buses, and middle fingers by kids, teens, adults, elders. Philly fans are the best! #NYG Stand UP!
@ MarkHerzlich Mark Herzlich Guy in a Deuce Staley jersey just launched a water bottle 40 yards and hit the bus dead on. Good throw. Poor judgment #Y_PO_LargeAngryMen
@JustinTuckNYG91 Justin Tuck I've never seen some many middle fingers lol I love it.
You are welcome.
"Even those invested in the idea that the journey is the destination may feel they've taken a train to nowhere." - Terry Lawson
So...
Our defense sucks and we should run more 2 TE sets.
Instead of watching Buffalo film, they should be rewatching all their game film just to show them over and over again how horrible they have been playing – especially in the second half of games.
so frustrating.
Love the insight though and great article.
"I'm Cracking Eggs of Wisdom!"
BUNCH FORMATIONS SUCK!!!
I ranted about this in the other thread, but I want to see what do you guys think about the dreadful bunch formations that have been costing us games for years.
The formations suck. I think they’re intrinsically retarded. Think about it! When all 22 players are bunched in the middle at the line of scrimmage, you have 9 blockers going against 11 defenders (obviously the QB and RB aren’t blocking). It’s an automatic mismatch. You can’t block them all, and JUST ONE defender getting through can blow up the play. I’m so sick of losing games like this!!! I still have nighmares of Buckhalter and Westbrook getting stuffed in short yardage week after week.
When you’ve got less than a half yard to go, and you stupidly decide to step back to hand the ball off, you’re starting with -3 yards that you have to earn back before you can even think about getting past the line of scrimmage. By the time the snap is taken, the QB steps back, hands the ball off and the RB gets back to the line, at least a whole second has passed for the unblocked defenders to get through. And if just one of your blockers gets beat, you’ve got several defenders in the backfield.
It makes so much more sense to spread the D out along the LOS. Not all defenders can get in on every play that way.!!! There’s the threat of running left/right/middle, and of passing the ball. When everybody in the world, including the opposing defense, knows a run up the middle is coming, it tends to FAIL!!!
Vick has had huge success running for short yardage and it’s depressing that he’s not the one running these critical plays. UGH
It all depends on the playcall. You can run some great plays from a tightly bunched goal line formation that can fool the crap out of the defense.
For example, you can pull the O-linemen out of the middle, leave the nose tackle unblocked, and have an easy stroll into the endzone (if the NT doesn’t crush the QB before he can hand the ball off, of course).
Or, you can run a really nifty pass-run option out of that set. The cool thing about the option play is that the RB can throw the ball even when he’s getting dragged down. It’s sure to work, and the best thing about scoring on a play like that (from a coach’s perspective) is that you look smarter than everyone else.
You can also keep things vanilla, but if you do, you just have to make sure you don’t give the ball to your best RB (that’s what everyone is expecting!). One sure-fire approach is to run back-to-back fullback dives. No one will see that coming — it has to work.
The most important thing with any of these plays is that trickery is always the best approach on the goal line. Nothing can possibly go wrong!
by Clyde Simmons 96 on Oct 4, 2011 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions 8 recs
Couldn't agree more
You are one smart man. Rec’d.
"I don’t know whether I prefer Astroturf to grass. I never smoked Astroturf." - Joe Namath
lol
clever
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
For the first time ever
I like the huge advertisement in the background because when you open the page, the very top says “Well, this is embarrassing.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
"I don’t know whether I prefer Astroturf to grass. I never smoked Astroturf." - Joe Namath
Oh, and Ronnie Brown...
"I don’t know whether I prefer Astroturf to grass. I never smoked Astroturf." - Joe Namath
well deserved. Bravo.
"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb
by thePurpleLion on Oct 4, 2011 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Its the safeties
Allen really hasn’t been an upgrade for Coleman so far. Everybody yells and screams bloody murder about the LBs (and they aren’t good) but the safeties are an even bigger problem. If they were even adequate players, you wouldn’t see nearly as many gashing run plays that go for long distances nor so many problems in pass defense.
If they even played adequately in run defense, they would stop a bit of the hemorrhaging but neither Page nor Allen can make an open-field tackle with any kind of consistency. Allen looks a step slow, tentative most of the time, and just isn’t a great tackler to begin with.
by MG77 on Oct 4, 2011 2:01 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I agree….mostly…. but the LBs are still less than adequate in their gap assigments and in coverage…
but you’re right…the safeties are extremely important in this system and they are a liability at the moment….. It boggles the mind that they could have Mikell and BDawk back there right now….. and at the expense of who? An exention payment of 12M to bench Kolb? Or perhaps another 5M payment to another backup’s backup in Mr. Dream Team?
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
As of right now I’m really pissed they let Q go. He was the best tackler on the team for all his short-comings when it came to penalties.
The Jruth shall be told.
Whistling in the dark.
"Even those invested in the idea that the journey is the destination may feel they've taken a train to nowhere." - Terry Lawson
rec'd
seriously the safeties are terrible….
Watch Jarrad Page on the 4 longest runs of the season:
47 yd Stephen Jackson TD
62 yd Michael Turner run
40 yard Bradshaw run
40 yard Gore run
Page is still playing ‘centerfield’ like it’s a pass play; he is still 10 yards deep as the RB is crossing the line of scrimmage. You need to come up QUICK and either make contact or force the RB to decelerate & change direction within a couple yards of the LOS.
Page is just sleeping back there on running plays and it’s not doing our mediocre linebackers any favors….
Allen was always crappy in run support but at least last year he was good in coverage. Now it looks like he lost a step there too
Dead serious
That the Eagles could have a safety duo of Mikell/Dawkins right now and it would be a definitive upgrade over Allen/Page even though both of the former Eagles are real liabilities in coverage.
FO looks really f'n stupid too
can toss this in with the quantity over quality drafts the past 2 years.
It is way too early to make that kind of statement but it would be nice if Allen or Jarrett was a starter who was playing capably right now.
Allen really has gotten a free pass around year but he was really struggling even before he hut his knee last year. Eagles will have a pretty good read on him by the end of the season. My bet is he ends up as a ‘bust considering he was a high 2nd round pick who just isn’t starter material in the NFL.
Take a break. You need it.
"Even those invested in the idea that the journey is the destination may feel they've taken a train to nowhere." - Terry Lawson
The Eagles could have a safety duo of Waters/Hopkins...
…right now and it would be a definite upgrade.
Q: What do a leaky tampon and Sean McDermott's defense have in common?
A: They are equally ineffective in the red zone.
Ed Wade=all the farm system the Phillies will ever need.
Muddy Waters + Anthony Hopkins
I would like to thank my hands for being so great, for allowing me to type this post.
by corn on the kolb on Oct 4, 2011 10:53 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Someone give Sean Considine a call.
I hear he’s not doing anything. What about a Macho Harris/Considine combo?
"it's like i tell my ex-wife, i never drive faster than i can see, and besides it's all in the reflexes." -Jack Burton, Big trouble in little China
Mixed on this O-line
Kelce has been an upgrade at C so far although he has had some growing plays & really gets showed around at times in the running game.
DeVan though really hasn’t shown much. He was terrible last week. Guess he is an upgrade over the horrendous MJG/Cole fiasco at RG last year but it is pretty hard to believe that Watkins is so in over his head that he doesn’t get a start at some point in the next few weeks if DeVan keeps this up.
If DeVan plays this mediocre the rest of the season & Watkins can’t displace him, that speaks volumes of how just completely in over his head that he is at this point. Really damning indictment of a 1st round pick.
Blah, blah.
"Even those invested in the idea that the journey is the destination may feel they've taken a train to nowhere." - Terry Lawson
I definitely see Watkins starting soon
No later than after the bye. DeVan seems to be a band-aid at best.
Still waiting for the Eagles to Bring it Home for Jerome.
lol a band aid on a shot gun blast to the face i hope so too man
"Buddy doesn't have many rules but one of them is don't lose to the Cowboys."
Bunched up
Yes indeed – when you spread out by the GL many of the defenders are basically blocked for free.
Food 4 thought for the pro Andy Reid people
i made a point little while ago about the “leave andy alone people”
the pro-andys say we need to give him another chance because he was the winniest coach in our history…..
but wasn’t dawkins the best safety we’ve had in history? Didn’t he deserve another chance to come back? If Reid cuts our favorite veterans year in and year out it shows me its not what you’ve done for him in the past its what you’ve done lately.
So shouldnt we hold him to the same standard?
i'm not an andy defender but
that argument needs to be given a rest. Personally I think they made a mistake on dawkins, but there’s no way to know that at the time. All we can see is an aging dawkins who is clearly in the twilight of his career. They thought they could find a suitable replacement…turns out they couldn’t. dawkins at his lowest is better than anyone we’ve had at that position since. But the eagles are a business and that was a business decision that, unfortunately, didn’t turn out the way they expected. And it’ll be a business decision when andy gets the axe. Will the next HC find more success? maybe….maybe not.
If you have a gas stove,
snuff out the pilot light, turn on the oven, then stick your head in until you find out why it is not getting hot.
"Even those invested in the idea that the journey is the destination may feel they've taken a train to nowhere." - Terry Lawson
um ... not quite the same.
Dawk was let go because he was getting old and unproductive. As coach, age has nothing to do with it. Andy and Howie have done some amazing things, especially this past offseason. Unproductive, yes, but Dawk must rely on his talent, where Andy relies on other’s talent. he is a good evaluator. Getting rid of Dawk was the right thing to do. Same with Trotter.
Unfortunately, the Eagles are at a very bad place right now. The season can be lost in the next two weeks. If we lose to the Bills, and its a real probability, and we lose to the Skins, another probable outcome if we keep at this rate, this season will be almost unsalvagable. If we get to that 1-5 record, the possibility of even making the playoffs is all but gone (barring a miracle).
The question is what do you do as Andy? Do you 1) keep Castillo in (like you should) and let him try to earn his spot going forward and possibly throw away the season? OR 2) replace Juan, or supercede him in the Defense scheme and calls and take on the Dfense himself? To find someone who is not only suitable but WILLING to take on a defense mid season will not be an easy task. Either way, he will be putting his ass on the line. I dont envy Andy right now.
"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb
by thePurpleLion on Oct 4, 2011 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions
u make good points, however as dumb as this is going to sound, i would of kept dawkins until he couldnt walk anymore as a 1-2 down safety agaisnt the run because of the fire we brought with him
Dawkins was a GREAT, if not the best, motivator for a defense. Guys wanted to be like him. But he wanted too much money, and the Eagles were not willing to pay him what he wanted. His talent was declining, and his paycheck was increasing. Dont get me wrong, I love BDAWK, and will always hold him in high regard. I hope he comes back to Philly to officially retire as an Eagle but he will never play here again. He may make a great secondary coach someday, but at the time Andy did the right thing, and made the tough decision none of us wanted to make.
"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb
by thePurpleLion on Oct 4, 2011 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions
would of?
Wtf is that supposed to mean?
"Even those invested in the idea that the journey is the destination may feel they've taken a train to nowhere." - Terry Lawson
We could use Dawk's fire right now
Although the Eagles always wanted to bring him back, they just thought they could do it cheaply and got outbid by Denver. They did not LET him walk.
Still waiting for the Eagles to Bring it Home for Jerome.
Hey, numbnuts,
players lose their speed and strength as they age, coaches’ mental powers, whatever they are, usually persist until old age ( 70-80 ).
Great comment, though.
"Even those invested in the idea that the journey is the destination may feel they've taken a train to nowhere." - Terry Lawson
Why do we need to be wide-9 all the time? To compensate for the LB’s, why not run more of a hybrid system where we go 2-gap on obvious running downs, then release the hounds on 3rd and long.
they may adjust to this
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions
although
as pointed out in various articles, teams will just run at the DE and gather 14 yards of rushig on a 3rd and 7 in a pivotal game losing drive….
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Castillo is outmatched. Period. He is not a strong playcaller on defense nor does he make strong adjustments. Any decent offensive coordinator can survive the occasional sacks he and Washburn are able to generate and torch this weak tea defense. If he was a great defensive mind and it was a complicated system he was trying to run I’d give him a break, but a wide 9, with linebackers shooting the gaps and the secondary playing zone isn’t that tough to crack for a decent offense. He says fundamentals like its a magical elixir and like if we just tackle a little better everything will be fine. I don’t question his work ethic. I question whether he has the insight, smarts, and innovation to outsheme the best offenses in the NFL. He does not. Nice guy, hard working guy, way in over his head. Maybe Spags will get fired and Andy will bring him here, God willing.
by ghostofandrewatters on Oct 4, 2011 2:54 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Could not have said it better myself. Amen brother!
"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb
by thePurpleLion on Oct 4, 2011 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Rec…exactly this…
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
wait til
brady, welker, gronkowski, and hernandez come to town. i can see him puttnig up 50 pts on this D no problem.
Brady may have a career day that day…. 600 yards of passing?
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions
we may not need to wait that long with Fitzpatrick on a hotstreak like he is.
"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb
by thePurpleLion on Oct 4, 2011 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions
no kidding
Does Juan think he’s even smarter than a HArvard grad?
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Yep, that's the elephant in the room
But stubborn ANdy won’t admit it, which is why it won’t change. It appears , now that a. Curry is off the market again( maybe a starter again) . So we Whiffed on that one. We could go and get lofa or j. Peterson, but we won’t “because this defense will come around” b.s. We could sign d.sharper to be a leader and , IMO, an upgrade at our " interchangeable " safety position. but that would be too simple for Reid the trickster.
ugh ... where did curry go?
"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb
by thePurpleLion on Oct 4, 2011 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Whiff means swing and miss.
Do you have info that the Eagles made an effort/offer to sign Curry?
"Even those invested in the idea that the journey is the destination may feel they've taken a train to nowhere." - Terry Lawson
Mike sando or mike florio indirectly hinted that Philly and Arizona made offers
by Saidrick on Oct 4, 2011 6:34 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
slight misprint
Maybe Spags will get fired and Andy “new head coach” will bring him here, God willing.
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Castillo criticism is justified
But at the same time, every single week it’s guys in the right spots doing the wrong things, which is why I put it on Jarrad Page and Jamar Chaney more than Juan Castillo.
This defense would be adequate if it did the simple things well.
Seriously, it’s open-field tackling, remembering to cover backs out of the backfield, etc. … That’s on Castillo insomuch as he apparently hasn’t coached them to do these things well. But the scheme itself appears to put guys in the right spots. Guys are blowing their opportunities.
Also the offense could mask a lot of the defensive deficiencies by not fumbling inside the 5 and making easy field goals.
Personally I never expected Castillo or this defense to be great, just adequate enough to prop up our offense. Right now all 3 units are sharing in the failing so I don’t buy the notion that Castillo is the lone scapegoat, the notion that firing him would fix everything or the notion that we can’t win with this guy — whether you think he’s a dolt or not — at the helm if other people would do their part as well.
Still waiting for the Eagles to Bring it Home for Jerome.
Andy Reid has won so many games with so many different players
He probably looks like a better coach than he really is. And he may buy into his own hype. Totally agree with criticism of wide nine. If you’ve got Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews, that probably works a lot better.
no one is smart enough to pull it off.
"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb
by thePurpleLion on Oct 4, 2011 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions
it does sound crazy
Your missing the key ingredient
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions
when i heard Juans introduction interviews he gave me the impression were going back to JJ’s defense because Juan and JJ used to pick each others brains about schemes and it sounded like it was what he is comfortable with.
well
we all got fooled didnt we…. my guess is that it was their poor attempt at justifying a crazy move…
Formerly BWestFactor
FLY #7 FLY !
by ShadyMcVickFactor on Oct 4, 2011 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions
More stupid than crazy, brother.
"Even those invested in the idea that the journey is the destination may feel they've taken a train to nowhere." - Terry Lawson
What's wrong with the Eagles Defense?
This.
AR should have to wear a Flava Flav necklace until he learns how to manage a fucking clock.
I am the proud target of temper tantrums.
This
is probably a pic that was taken when someone told him he would lead the top trio of corners in the nfl to 31st in the nfl for pass D… “you’re kidding me, haha, no way!”
by BleedinGreen116 on Oct 4, 2011 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Coaching
It is Time to change coaches—- Head Coach that is after a dismal start he has lost control of the team…anyone who puts an offensive coach as a defensive coach should have his head examined. His players no longer respect him. He can’t even control his own two sons how can he handle 53 players. Say good-bye Andy time to move on.
Kevin White
by Pizzaguy913 on Oct 4, 2011 4:00 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Not only an offensive coach, but a one-year offensive LINE coach. And he’s not even coaching the defensive line at all!
How retarded is that?
The Jruth shall be told.
When Juan played, he was a linebacker.
It is actually strange that he was hired as the O-line coach … not so much his DC job. Not many reporters research his career far back enough to get all the info.
"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb
by thePurpleLion on Oct 4, 2011 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I knew he was a LB, but does it make a difference? He’s a coach now, and it seems as if he’s a bad one at that.
The Jruth shall be told.
by packimop on Oct 4, 2011 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Woodson on Sports Center
Anyone else catch Woodson talking about the Eagles woes on Sports Center this morning? He basically said with our cover guys, we should be blitzing every down, stuffing the run at the LOS, and forcing the QB to throw quickly. It made sense when he said, although every blitz way that we’ve done this season has cost us big time, because we get easily exposed by a screen pass or run.
But Juan has to got to make a change. Its hard to change strategy in the middle of the season, but it just doesn’t seem like we are playing to our strengths – cover CBs – and we are seriously exploiting our weaknesses – MLB and Safety. I see no hope at this point.
I saw it
But I also saw him complaining about the OL which is like problem number 42 right now, outside the goal line blocking.
Not sure how much stock to put in what he said. Is he watching the games or the highlights?
Still waiting for the Eagles to Bring it Home for Jerome.
So are we praying for Teo?
and a new DC for next year? Does anyone think hanging on to Asante is the reason for this zone nonsense? We have two of the best bump and run press coverage corners in the NFL, there is zero reason to be playing zone. We also have a damn good slot corner in Hanson. I love Asante’s big plays as much as the next Eagles fan, but he seems like odd man out when you look at the strengths of our corners. Asante could help us bring back the players we need behind Wide 9. Just a thought.
I would like to see DRC and NA play man
I have not given up hope on them.
Oddly we’re just weak up the middle and it doesn’t matter what we do with CBs or the rush if people can expose that. We have to be better there, period.
Still waiting for the Eagles to Bring it Home for Jerome.
Why move nnamdi around
Just put him on their best wr and if he’s lined up on asantes side make him defend the next best threat. It’s similar to dropping trent Cole in coverage if you ask me
Vince been here less than a month and already done ****ed up
smh (dream team)
by allmaddenking on Oct 4, 2011 7:19 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
it's actually NOT the defense...
The word around here (as an eagles fan in SF) is not that the defense is all bad, but given all the admittedly over-the-top press coverage of the Eagles late last season and in the offseason, a lot of players on opposing teams are just pissed off and fired up about playing the Eagles. So they end up getting burned by HUGE plays, which tend to happen in the 4th quarter when the opposing team is down by a lot. The whole philosophy of getting a big lead and then forcing the opponent to take bigger risks doesn’t exactly hold up when a lot of those risks result in scores.
But a lot of teams have this problem and unfortunately the only real way to fix it is to score more points on offense. Defensively the Eagles aren’t much worse than the Packers, Patriots, or Saints, all of whom give up big plays on a regular basis. They just don’t have the offensive consistency to put the game away when it matters most…
I actually agree with this
as flawed as the defense has been, it was expected.
I think the offense has left too many points on the field. Kicking field goals, or fumbling, when we could be scoring TDs.
It happens sometimes to every offense, but this one way too much. It’s too good to be this flawed.
Still waiting for the Eagles to Bring it Home for Jerome.
@ dlh: what a bunch of crap.
“Defensively the Eagles aren’t much worse than the Packers, Patriots, or Saints”
LOL
We aint blitzing!!!! and when we do its fricking obvious.
put 8 guys up in the box and have our “talented” corners man up.
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