#11: SPLIT ‘EM DEEP

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/09
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, NFC East, Offense, Players, Roster, Super Bowl, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WE’VE been told that WR Quez Watkins is going to be working in the Slot, a lot more this year. In an earlier article, I said that we should use Watkins and RB Kenneth Gainwell as a one-two punch in the Slot. Picture it: We pound teams with 12 Personnel, then we make them chase either raw speed, or short area shiftiness. Nasty! Just plain nasty!

When the Eagles won the Super Bowl following the 2017 season, they did it behind WR Torrey Smith taking the top off of defenses, and allowing room for TE Zach Ertz to work underneath. Having to keep a Safety over Ertz, made it easier to get balls downfield, into WR Alshon Jeffrey’s insane catch radius. Having to cover all of that, is what opened up the room for the run game to pile up 2115 yards (132 ypg).

For the next couple of years, the Eagles tried to replicate that formula, first replacing Smith with WR Mike Wallace (2018), who was hurt two games into the season; and then re-uniting with WR DeSean Jackson (2019), who was hurt three games into the season. (Note: It’s not that the formula didn’t work, it’s that we didn’t have the horses to run it.)

Well, now we have a new formula, and I personally LOVE it! I’ve been saying since DJax was here, that we should put our burner in the Slot, not on the Outside. This one move does more than the old formula does, and it does it much more simply.

Watkins in the Slot running “Go” and clear-out routes right down the middle, means that a defense in Single-high coverage, can offer no help to their CB’s. That frequently puts WR Devonta Smith and WR A.J. Brown in one-on-one coverage, on opposite sides of the field. Imagine a CB alone in space with Brown, after the catch. Damned near animal cruelty, right?

Watkins in the Slot running “Go” and clear-out routes right down the middle, means that a defense in Cover Two, has to squeeze the Safeties together, instead of letting them drift out to help the CB’s. (See above result.) This means committing extra resources to coverage. So now instead of four back deep, they have five back deep.

Five back deep, means a six man front. It means they’re in Nickel. Ladies and gentlemen, have you met our run game? Give a hand to RB Miles Sanders! And playing the part of Charlie Mack, I give you LT Jordan Mailata, and LG Landon Dickerson!

First out da limo.

Oh wait! We haven’t even started on TE Dallas Goedert on 15 yard Outs, after play-action. Watkins in the Slot will also force teams to declare more coverages, making pre-snap reads easier for QB Jalen Hurts. (This is where spreading the Offense really gets it’s mojo workin’.) All of which is done easily with Watkins being a speed merchant.

I hear you ask: How dangerous can a speed merchant really be? I mentioned Torrey Smith earlier. In 2017 he played in all 16 games, catching just 36 balls for 430 yards (11.9) and just 2 TD’s. Small numbers, right? However, it was his presence that made him the catalyst for the entire Offense. The loss of that, was 75% of why the Eagles looked so disjointed in 2018 and 2019.

Folks, people are predicting us to win the East, but I… I might already be looking past that. I’m telling you, if Hurts can read defenses better in 2022, the entire NFC (not just the East), is on notice. Rams, Bucs, Green Bay AT Lambeau. All of that. We want ALL the smoke.

#10: BRITAIN IN PHILADELPHIA

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/08
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, Special Teams, The 12, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

DARREN Sproles was the last Eagles Returner, who made Special Teams feel like a legitimate contributor in every game. Helping to win the hidden yardage battle, is what former Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp used to call it. These days Special Teams has been de-prioritized, and it shows up in our starting field position.

Right now on the Eagles roster, we have 6 RB’s, and 12 WR’s. Of those 18 players, only 2 have serious collegiate experience returning both punts and kicks. (Don’t even ask about pro return experience.) Those players are WR Jalen Reagor, and undrafted rookie WR Britain Covey. Reagor and WR Greg Ward are our only options with over 20 pro punt returns.

So we have Ward not being dangerous, or Reagor muffing the ball twice in a game. Honestly, the Eagles players who have tried their hands as return men, have sucked horribly at it. Mostly because it takes more than speed to be a great returner. The most important thing you need, are nerves of steel.

For that reason, I think we need to take a serious look at Covey. By “serious” I mean at least until final cuts. We need to see what, if anything, we can squeeze out of his 5’8” 170 pound frame. Yep, he’s a little fucker. This coaching staff has an absolute fetish for small offensive players. And not even the fast ones! Just a bunch of tiny, short legged guys, getting caught from behind.

In five college seasons, Covey posted 4 punt return touchdowns on 92 attempts, racking up 1,092 yards for an average of 11.9. No Eagles player had college numbers anywhere near that, and they’ve been worse as pros. Covey also averaged 25 yards on 33 kick returns, but with all the touchbacks in today’s NFL, the punt numbers are far more significant.

As a receiver, he’s kind of in the mold of Raiders WR Hunter Refrow, just smaller. Like Refrow, Covey does his damage in the Slot; is fearless in traffic; and understands how to settle into another receivers wake to give his QB a clean target. At least that was his game in college. We don’t need him to be a starter, but if he can be a 5th WR, we’d be golden.

So we should take a long look at him. No need to rush, but try to develop this kid a little. Because if he can give us a PR/KR/WR, then he’s more than worth one roster spot. In fact, at that point I think the five WR’s we keep are Devonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Quez Watkins, Zach Pascal, and Covey. And if Covey doesn’t pan out, I guess we keep… Ward?

#9: SPREAD THE OFFENSE

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/07
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Offense, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

WORST thing the Eagles can do to QB Jalen Hurts, is to operate with the WR’s in Bunch Formation. You know that thing where three receivers bunch up in a cluster beside the Offensive Line? It’s supposed to create mismatches, but for a QB who is the Floyd Mayweather of football, it pays to keep things closer to Dick and Jane, than Atlas Shrugged for him.

So the Offense should be kept spread out. After all, the idea is to get receivers open. If they line up close to open, before the snap, the job is partly done for them. That, and it forces the opposing defense to declare their assignments. If a defender leaves his assignment to blitz, then his assignment is open. Or if someone was giving help, then their assignment is open.

While we’re on the subject of help, it’s harder for defenders to give it, if they’re spread out. The more space one player is responsible for, the easier it is to bait him into a serious mistake. Given the high use of play-action in our Offense, catching defenders in the wrong place, could happen multiple times per game. That’s harder to make happen, from a bunch formation.

Another benefit of spreading out, is that batted balls are less of threat to us. Batting a ball near a crowd is a dangerous thing for an offense. Better to not gamble.

The worst part of bunching is penalties. Offensive Pass Interference. Illegal picks. These get called when a “rub route” isn’t executed well. Defenders are allowed to jam, and otherwise make contact with receivers within five yards of the line of scrimmage. But when receivers do it, it gets called OPI, or pushing off. Bunches gives the defense a sort of “benefit of the doubt”.

Coaches frequently say that they have to put their players in a better position to succeed, and this is true. However, they also have to put opposing players in the best position to fail. Make our player’s jobs easy, while making their player’s jobs hard. We can start by making it harder for them to help each other, and making it easy for Hurts to read it, when they mess up.

#8: USE A QB AS THE H

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/06
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, NFL, Players, Rants, Special Teams, The 12, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

EVERY year I repeat this one. We never do it, and we always should. (Every team should, actually.) Fuck it. I will bang this pot until someone hears me! There is no tactical advantage to using a Punter to hold on Field Goal attempts. Unless you’re Pat McAfee or Sav Rocca, you probably don’t offer much as an athlete on a football field. A back-up QB however, offers plenty.

Pat McAfee celebrates at WrestleMania 38. I don’t usually watch wrestling anymore, but I’m BEYOND happy, that I caught his matches.

A QB playing holder makes every FG attempt a potential opportunity for a fake. While that can be said of anyone holding, a QB’s ability to deliver ball (even under pressure), makes that potential fake all the more dangerous, and all the more real.

The most important thing it does, is it forces teams to focus on covering both Ends and both Wings, instead of trying to block a kick. Wait. Let me back up.

Because Special Teams is so rarely talked about, most people don’t know the positions. The five members of the line are T, G, C, G, T. That part you already knew. Outside of the T’s are the TE’s. Still pretty standard stuff. The players outside of the TE’s are Wing Backs (WB). Usually those are WR’s or RB’s who are good blockers, because the emphasis is on protection.

While there are always six players eligible to catch a pass on any FG attempt, not having a player that can deliver a pass, makes that threat practically toothless. Unless someone isn’t covered. A QB on the field however, gives the offense (and that’s still what it is), a player who can routinely deliver an accurate pass, even to a covered man, even with pressure in his face. No P can match that.

I’ve spent years saying that we should use WR Greg Ward as the Holder, given his QB background, and his WR legs. However, if we were to trot QB Gardner Minshew out there, opponents would think “Well what the happy fuck, is this horseshit?” At which point their focus is more on making sure that our TE’s and WB’s don’t get loose for six, than on giving up three.

And after all that, after everything you just read, you just read the REAL payoff. It’s a more relaxed Kicker who doesn’t feel like he needs to rush, because the defense is trying harder to cover, than they are to block. What would relaxing K Jake Elliott be worth to you? Yet all it would cost, is swapping out a P for a QB. That’s it.

And of course, every so often we can actually run a fake. Just to let opponents know that they need to be afraid, and stay that way.

#7: SMALLER CUSHIONS PLEASE

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/05
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, free agents, Players, Rants, Roster, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

CORNERBACKS Darius Slay and James Bradberry are seen as possibly the best starting Man-to-Man duo, in the NFL. If that’s the case, then they should be allowed to play more Man and less Zone. If that happens, then we should see them lining up closer to WR’s, instead of giving them cushions of five yards or more.

Eagles fans spent 2021 calling for the head of Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Whether it was the huge cushions, the lack of blitzing, the unimaginative use of the LB’s, we weren’t happy with last year’s meager 29 sacks and 12 interceptions. Eagles brass (who had assembled that roster), hinted that maybe Gannon just needed better players.

So they went out and added a premier pass rusher in LB Hasaan Reddick. Added a premier CB in Bradberry. Even added some speed with LB Kyzir White. And that’s just among the proven NFL veterans! We also added two top-shelf defensive rookie talents. So “a lack of talent to work with” is no longer an excuse in Philadelphia.

Courtesy of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Now that we have the cover men, we can shrink those cushions and make QB’s hold the ball a second or two longer. That will give our pass rush time to get their mitts on him. Or that QB can be an idiot, and throw the ball against tighter coverage. Sure, every so often that will result in a big play for the opposing offense, but it will also mean more chances at the ball for our Defense.

Giving swagger to a defense requires showing confidence in it first. If you want something to sprout, you have to water it first. Work, THEN results. There are no shortcuts. Being lazy today, only robs you in the future.

We went and got the guys. Now let’s let them play their game.

#6: JACK STOLL FOR H-BACK

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/04
Posted in: Coaching, Crazy Talk, Offense, Players, Roster, The 12, Uncategorized, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

HEAD Coach Nick Sirianni needs to develop TE Jack Stoll into a weapon. Relax, I’m not suggesting that we try to make him into TE Zach Ertz. Stoll probably couldn’t gain 1,000 yards on 1,000 catches. What he can do is block. What he did do, was contribute mightily to the Eagles 2,715 rushing yards last year. What he didn’t do was help other players get open.

Last year, on 331 offensive snaps, Stoll saw just 5 passes come his way, catching 4 of them for 22 yards (5.5ypc). That can’t happen in 2022. We need to make opponents respect Stoll as a threat, to stop them from doubling our other weapons. Playing him at H-Back would be a subtle way to help get the ball in his hands a little (or a lot) more.

For those who don’t know, an H-Back is essentially a TE/FB hybrid. Where as an in-line (regular) TE lines up on the line of scrimmage next to the Offensive Tackle, an H-Back lines up behind the line of scrimmage (like a FB). Often a yard or so behind the Tackle, but he can be lined up anywhere back there. And that’s the point.

The ‘H’ in this diagram is the H-Back. See how he’s behind the Offensive Line? This puts him technically in the backfield. He can shift to “in-line” TE, as long as one one of the WR’s comes off the line of scrimmage. He can also go into motion, and end up pre-snap anywhere in the backfield.

Keep in mind, our run game still NEEDS him out there. As an H-Back, Stoll’s TE blocking is still in play, because he can line up outside of the Tackle. Lined up inside the Tackle, he can be used more like a FB. That means he can lead-block for RB Miles Sanders, or be in a better position to push QB Jalen Hurts from behind, on QB Sneaks.

Drawing up a TE Screen for him coming out of the backfield, can have more wrinkles than a Screen where he starts out as an in-line TE. Plus, if he receives a hand-off here and there, opponents also have to respect him on play-action. Right now we do none of these things with him. None of them.

Oh, and here’s the best part of playing him at H-Back. That FB aspect? The Dallas Cowboys are looking to pull the FB position out of mothballs. The Ravens have FB Patrick Ricard, but he has just 32 touches in five years. Rumor has the Cowboys using their new FB in the Daryl Johnston mold. (FYI: Johnston averaged about 47 touches per year. And won two Super Bowls.)

Given that the NFL has made the FB irrelevant for a little over a decade, it’s fair to say that most defenders don’t know how to approach it. If we use Stoll at H-Back and have him practice there, our Defense will have familiarity with it when they see it. Thus a division rival has no surprise or secret weapon against us. Plus it’ll help our other weapons get open! Ta-daaa!

On 331 snaps, he was practically ignored, and we never capitalized on it. Seriously. How many times did we let opponents off the hook in the red zone? That lack of vision can’t happen again in 2022. We have a 100% off the radar, surprise weapon lurking on our roster. Let’s make the guy dangerous!

If you’re confused: YES. He did wear #47 in the pre-season, but he switched to 89 later.

#5: STICK WITH EPPS AT FS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/03
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, free agents, Players, Roster, The 12, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

LETTING FS Rodney McLeod walk as a free agent, was probably a little premature. While I think FS Marcus Epps is ready for the starting role; it would have been better to increase Epps snap share for the first four weeks, then hand him the keys on Week 5. If for any reason he looked shaky, McLeod should have still been here as insurance.

Instead, what we did was jump right off that bridge. Maybe not the most careful move, but it’s easy to see why the Eagles did it. Hell, I’ve been yelling for months, that they should. Epps has generally looked good with extra snaps (usually at SS). Also, given his age (26), and his contract situation (Unrestricted Free Agent after this season), the Eagles need to know what they have.

Rod McLeod congratulates Marcus Epps on his interception. A torch passes.

That said, we need to stick with him when things get bumpy for him. Let me repeat, a lot of his best tape comes at SS, so playing alone, back deep, he’s going to be learning a new gig. Though Anthony Harris has started at FS (in Minnesota), his deep speed is questionable. While K’Von Wallace can run, his eyes are less experienced. Epps is unseasoned, but the clear option here.

We didn’t draft Epps, but we signed him when Minnesota cut him, just eight weeks and 12 defensive snaps into his rookie year. He’s been an Eagle ever since. We raised him. Nurtured him. Brought him from deep bench, to possible starter. What is the point of stockpiling young talent, just to develop it for other teams? Don’t do that. Start Epps, and stick with him. Period.

#4: GAINWELL IN THE SLOT

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/02
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Offense, Players, Roster, The 12, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

VERSATILITY is the cornerstone of RB Kenneth Gainwell’s game, and we need to find a way to make that a regular problem for our opponents. While Gainewell isn’t the most physical RB, he is an actual RB. He’s not a trumped up WR playing the spot, like Antonio Gibson in Washington. Gainwell can take hits, hold onto the ball, and participate in blitz pick-ups. So there was also no need to trade for a WR (Deebo Samuels), who does RB impersonations.

The thing about Gainwell, is that in college he played RB and WR. Then in his first pro season, he proved to be a natural route runner, and a reliable pass catcher. So why not let him line up as a Slot WR this year? Not every down! I’m not even suggesting to start him there. In fact, it’s best if he lines up all over the formation (RB, WR, proctologist, etc.) and is frequently motioned.

This way we can use our personnel groupings to create, then exploit mismatches. With the addition of WR A.J. Brown on the perimeter, the talk is that WR Quez Watkins will see much more time in the Slot. Imagine being the NCB who just had to cover Watkins, and now sees a fresh Gainwell jog out across from them. It’s unfair isn’t it?! It’s just plain mean! We need to do that!

Hack the bone. Twist the knife! Find an unfair advantage, then use it early and often. Abuse our power! Think of it. This year, Watkins and Gainwell in the Slot. Last year it was WR Jalen Reagor. Christ on crutches, can you say “major fucking upgrade”? I knew you could.

This is a one-two punch that needs to happen.

#3: DON’T OVERUSE 3-4

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/01
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Players, Roster, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

DEFENSIVE Coordinator Jonathan Gannon came to Philadelphia saying that his defensive system wasn’t a system. He said that he wanted to “be multiple”. As in: Use multiple defensive fronts (4 – 3 , 3 – 4, 5 – 2, 4 – 2, etc.) He did much of that last year, primarily playing out of a 4 – 3 base. This year however, we’re hearing rumblings of using more 3 – 4.

I will never say that the Eagles shouldn’t strive for versatility, but we can’t allow ourselves to fall in love with the 3 – 4 this year. By “fall in love with”, I mean starting more than one game in it. By “fall in love with”, I mean more than 15 snaps per game in it, or using it EVERY single week. The 3 – 4 can be a weapon. It just needs to be concealed carry. Not hanging off the brim of our baseball cap.

Understand, most of the players we have on Defense, were plucked from 4 – 3 systems in college, and have played 4 – 3 as pros. That means 4 – 3 is what they are good at. They have become experts in 4 – 3. So why strand them in something they aren’t proficient in? The idea is to spend as much time as we can, getting the most out of our players.

We do have players here, who have played in a 3 – 4. DE Brandon Graham played OLB, and DT Fletcher Cox played DE, in a 3 – 4 Wide Nine, back when Bill Davis was here. You remember him? Chip Kelly brought him here, and he ran our Defense into the ground. You may remember that I wrote an article called “WANT A SUPER BOWL? THEN FIRE BILL DAVIS”. Then we fired Bill Davis and won a Super Bowl. Yeah, that Bill Davis.

My point is that switching 4 – 3 players, to 3 – 4 players didn’t work well for us. So again, why strand them? Look, sprinkling in a little 3 – 4 could be a major weapon for us. A major one if used just 5 to 8 downs per game (out of an average of 60). An opponent isn’t going to devote much time to stopping something we run only about 10 percent of the time. The time isn’t there. Not with less than a week of prep time. That alone makes it scary.

Also, with DT’s Cox, Javon Hargrave, Jordan Davis, and Milton Williams playing in the ‘A’ gaps, it’ll be much easier to keep our LB’s clean. Compare that to using a NT with open spacing, which allows opposing G’s to get up on our ILB’s. It’s no contest. The 4 – 3 should be the base, and we shouldn’t do to much with the 3 – 4.

#2 HARD RUNNING MILES

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/05/31
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Offense, Players, Roster, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

RIGHT now, RB Miles Sanders is the most physical, proven runner on the roster. Let me repeat that. Right now, Miles Sanders is currently our “big back”. He’s the guy that we’d use to wear down defenses, and get the hard, short yardage. This has never been his role or what he specializes in, but right now, he’s the best suited to it, so he has to commit to it.

Before you get all worked up over rookie RB Kennedy Brooks, here’s some of his college tape: Exhibit A ; Exhibit B. Breaks tackles more like 195 than 213, doesn’t he? And that’s college! So as I was saying…

The Eagles have been a ‘RB by committee’ team, since 2014. We’ve rushed for over 2000 yards three times since then. We ran for 2115 in 2017 (Super Bowl); put up 2027 in 2020 with two QB’s running for about 300 yards each; then ran for 2715 last year. Rushing for 2000 yards in a season means that a team averages about 125 yards per game, on the ground. Which is very good.

The thing is, how a team gets those 125 yards, matters. In 2017 and in 2021 we had a big RB, and went to the playoffs. In 2020 we didn’t have a big back and we went 4 – 11 – 1. Big backs wear down defenses, making it easier to eat clock and score points. It also lends an intimidation factor, which yields a psychological advantage, making it easier to score.

Part of last year’s success was predicated on big RB Jordan Howard wearing down defenses with hard running, and then making them chase smaller, faster RB’s. If we don’t wear down opposing defenses, they’ll have more energy left to chase with. This could spell trouble for QB Jalen Hurts, who’s game is largely built upon being a runner. Remember his ankle sprain?

If this year’s rushing yards are 500 fewer than last year’s, and this year’s passing yards are 500 more than last year’s, then no one will care. (Especially if we’re winning.) However, right now, it seems that we don’t have the tools to replicate last year’s success on the ground.

I don’t know why we keep complicating this, by having seasons where we don’t have a big RB on the roster, but it’s something that we do. That said, if Sanders is our big back, we’ll need to see him finish his runs harder this year. Otherwise we might be screwed.