The Biggest Over-hyped Eagles...Literally

We have one of the brightest group of Bloggers here at BGN. My favorite part about BGN is the members here are avid Eagle fans that give intellectual posts and discussions on one site (most of the time :/). However, it it impossible for any blogger/fan to be completely un-bias when giving input of their favorite team or players. While I believe in the strength of the Eagles talent, there are a few are over-hyped by members here. Juqa Parker and Quintin Mikell are players that are over-hyped by some, but those critiques are for another day. I am here to critique two of the biggest over-hyped players on the Philadelphia Eagles squad...literally. 

via c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com (Patterson (98) 300 lbs, Bunkley (97) 306 lbs)

I hate them, like Joe_D hates McNabb. It can't be helped. But, I can help you (maybe).

1. The myth of the 2-gap system

People here believe that they are solid players and that there numbers and plays are misrepresented because of the system that JJ ran, which was a two-gap system. In a two-gap system, the defensive tackle reads the play while being responsible for two gaps or holes in the offensive line, the gap closest to the center is the A gap and the gap in between the guard and tackle is the B gap. Then they penetrate their gap, forcing the running back to cut back. The key word is penetrate. 

In other schemes, the tackle will be responsible for two gaps. In this case the tackle will line up directly facing an offensive lineman, and his job will be to push that lineman backwards and make sure the running back doesn't run past on either side of his lineman.

http://football.calsci.com/Positions8.html

Pushing the offensive line in football is penetrating. In a two gap system, penetration is key. Hell, penetration is key on both sides of the ball. The offense wants to penetrate the defense, and the defense wants to penetrate to tackle the ball carrier. Where do you want to make the tackle 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage or 5 yards down field? If you chose the first option, you need penetration.

2. Run defense and the useless brothers

The Eagles defense under JJ was a stout and feared defense that constantly brought pressure and stopped the run with penetration. And the Eagles D after JJ has still been pretty good against the run. However, should Patterson and Bunkley be given most of the credit since they supposed to be key run stoppers in a two-gap system?

Both Patterson and Bunkley took starting jobs in 2007 and have played together until the 2010 season with Bunkley going down with an elbow injury. So 2007-2009 will be critiqued. Stats from NFL.com and Football Outsiders.com

Eagles Defense Running Stats: 2007

 

• 7th
• 1,533 total rushing yards
• Avg Per Play: 3.8
• Avg Per Game 95.8
• Runs allowed in Middle: 4.16 per rush
• Middle rank: 21st

This is still JJ Era now so our defense is still really great however, as you can see our two big boys in the middle were abused this year. That is a really ugly number. The main reason why our run defense was so strong this year was because this was Trent Cole beast season with 12.5 sacks and 49 solo tackles. Also according to Football Outsiders our RE (Trent Cole) allowed 3.77 rushing avg to his side (ranked 13th). The Eagles had big tackling leaders with Takeo Spikes with 64 solo tackle, Brian Dawkins with 64 solo tackles, and Quintin Mikell with 62 solo tackles.

 

Eagles Defense Running Stats: 2008

 

• 4th
• 1, 476 total rushing yards
• Avg per play: 3.5
• Avg per game: 92.2
• Runs allowed in Middle: 4.21 per rush
• Middle Rank: 13th

Although the middle rank is decent, that average is really bad. If you allow 4.21 per rush, your looking at a at least at 105 yard rushing game only rushing 25 attempts. Again the numbers of total D is so good because of other players pick up the slack. This is the same year with Steward Bradley broke out with 86 tackles, 1 sack and 1 pick. Also our ends both had really good seasons against the run. Cole allowed an average of 3.24 per rush (ranked 5th or right side) and Parker (who I admit is really good vs the run) had an average of 3.02 (ranked 7th on the left side) per rush.  This is also the year that Parker did not compete with Jevon Kearse for plays.
Eagles Defense Running Stats: 2009

• 7th
• 1, 675 total rushing yards
• Avg per play: 4.1
• Avg per game: 104.7
• Runs allowed in Middle: 3.57 per rush
• Middle Rank: 6th

This year they finally did well! 3.5 is a little above the average, but close enough for them. Cole did a good job with 3.2 a rush (ranked 2nd), but Parker was abused with 4.13 per rush (ranked 20th). You may ask "number5, Patt and Bunk did really well in 2009! They might be kinda good?" No, lets look at their individual numbers for 2009.
Brodrick Bunkley 2009 stats: 30 tackles, 7 assists, 1.0 sacks
Mike Patterson 2009 stats: 42 tackles, 14 assists, 1.5 tackles
Poor? I think yes. If anything, Patterson was doing most of the work between the two. But for dominate run-stopping teams you need more than 1 DT showing up.

Sorry, I assumed everyone knew about FO and that they knew how to navigate the site.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/dl

Go to the bottom chart and this these numbers are there:

PHI: 4.07 / 14 // 3.08 / 2 // 3.37 / 2 // 4.58 / 24 // 3.71 / 13

 

On runs outside the left tackle opposing teams averaged 4.07 YPC which for the Eagles defense was 14th best in the NFL. Against runs behind the left side of the line teams averaged 3.08 YPC, 2nd best in the NFL. Against runs up the middle teams averaged 3.37 YPC, 2nd best in the NFL. When teams ran behind the right side of their line they averaged 4.5 YPC and runs to the outside of the left tackle averaged 3.71 yards per carry.

This quote is from d-jackfan10 on Eagles Position Review: DT's. Usually he is spot on. But he over-hypes our DT's,especially Patterson. What he forgets about this stat is that Antonio Dixon played this season, not so much of Bunkley, even when he got better from the elbow injury. Dixon's presence was huge this season in the middle and played the two-gap system better than anyone on our team.
I think they are poor in run-stoppage if they show up every 1/3 seasons don't you? If stopping the run for them is a weakpoint the only other phase is.....
3. Pass Rush If you thought their run-stoppage was weak, wait till you see their pass rushing. Bunkley Sacks: 2007: 3.0 2008: 2.0 2009: 1.0 2010: 0.0
Patterson Sacks:  2005: 3.5 2006: 1.5 2007: 4.0 2008: .5 2009: 1.5 2010: 2.0
Those aren't very good to say the least, Patterson had two good pass-rushing seasons in 2005 and 2007, but has been quite since while Bunkley hasn't even made noise. What is even wore is that the Eagles take them out in 3rd downs that are guaranteed passing situations. DE's like Darren Howard, Juqa Parker and recently Darryl Tapp. Why would the coaching staff take Pat and Bunk of the field if they were good in passing situations? They don't get much sacks because they can't penetrate, not so much the "two-gap system". If you can't play on third down, that makes you one-dimensional as a player. And if in the only situations you do play in, you play poor, then your aren't good period.
4. Things that are just as good as Pat and Bunk while being cheaper Joe Banner and Jeffery Lurie, listen up I'm about to give you 5 things that won't penetrate the line but will be way cheaper...and 5 things that are better than them 1. A parked school bus

via cache2.allpostersimages.com

2. A large pile of rocks

via glenniacampbell.typepad.com

3. A beached Whale

via www.indymedia.ie (wait is that Bunkley or a whale?)

4. This thing

via animals.nationalgeographic.com

5. Snorlax

via www.testriffic.com

5 things that are better that 

 

1. Megan Fox

via www.examiner.com

2. Katy Perry

via www.glamourvanity.com

3. Brooklyn Decker

via images.askmen.com

2. Snorlax

via files.sharenator.com

1. Number5 (me not mcnabb)

via assets.nydailynews.com

(lol, in no particular order of course!)