slot

All posts tagged slot

#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.

#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.

EAGLES RIVAL REPORT: COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/05/30
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, NFL, Offense, Players, Rivals, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

jason-garrett-cowboys-coach-return-jerry-jones

GENERALLY Eagles fans ignore the plotting of our rivals. However, there are times when something a rival does or plans to do, can affect who we start, or how we implement our own systems when we face that rival. It can even impact how we build our roster. The Cowboys are making a low-key move centered around a 4th round draft pick, which could send a ripple effect through the division. So now might be a good time to pay attention.

WR Cole Beasley isn’t very fast, but he’s quick. He has an ability to stretch a defense not vertically, but laterally. Due to being so quick, he can’t be covered in a short-area by most OLB’s. That forces teams from their base defense to their Nickle alignment, just to get a Defensive Back to cover him. This already puts a defense at a disadvantage just by being out of their base. It further presents a problem, because it swaps out a big body (OLB) from run defense for a smaller one (DB).

When the Cowboys drafted Beasley clone WR Ryan Switzer in the 4th round this year, the knee jerk reaction was to assume that he was a younger, cheaper replacement for Beasley. Rumblings out of Dallas seem to indicate that Switzer isn’t a replacement for the slot receiver, but actually an accompaniment.

Normally that would mean putting them on the field together a lot, but there wouldn’t be a lot of upside to having two 180 pound slot receivers out there at the same time. While it would allow for a lot more option-style short passes and quick Out routes, it would conversely rob the Cowboys run game of reliable blockers at the point-of-attack inside the numbers.

The best way to employ these two is to rotate them in a way that keeps at least one of them on the field for 75 to 90 percent of the snaps. Last year when Beasely came off the field, the Cowboys would put out a second TE, or another WR who was more straight-line fast, than short-area quick.

This year with two players who can stretch a defense laterally on every down, that threat can help create less congested running lanes, inside the numbers. They could gain the advantage of extra blocking without any wear and tear (or risk of injury) to the blockers themselves.

If the Cowboys actually go in this direction, we’ll have to find ourselves a S/LB hybrid (or two) who can stay with players like Beasley and Switzer. Examples of Eagles who might help, would be Safety Nate Gerry whom we drafted in the 5th round this year, or LB Kamu Grugier-Hill. (Neither is a lock to make the roster in 2017.)

With any luck, I’m wrong and the Cowboys will opt for trying to play ‘B and S’ together. That would severely limit their individual effectiveness as well as the effectiveness of the entire offense to boot. That however, would require a LOT of luck, as no one (even the Cowboys) could be stupid enough to miss how much more dangerous these two would make the entire team, if they are rotated. Sometimes fellow Eagles fans, you might want to pay attention to what your rivals are up to.

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JORDAN MATTHEWS LEAVING?

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/06/07
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Jordan Matthews card

“EAGLES Matthews Seems Destined To Play The Slot”. That was the headline for an article on Philly.com. I run a Facebook Eagles group called Eagles Maniacs where a similarly titled article also popped up. While the use of Jordan Matthews as a slot WR is a detrimental to the whole Offense, I also don’t like the split it’s setting up between Matthews and the Eagles.

Before you dismiss that as crazy, point to the time where I’ve been wrong about the Eagles losing a player…You can’t, because I haven’t been. EVER. Now let’s continue.

The headline is 100% accurate. “Eagles Matthews seems destined to play the slot”. Key word there is ‘Eagles’. Once he goes elsewhere, he will be allowed to line up as a starter on the outside. You’ll see him do things for other some other offense, that he has not been allowed to do here. Yes, I said and meant the word ‘allowed’. I will get into that later down the page.

Why would the Eagles intentionally hold back their own player’s potential? Two words: Price Control. The Eagles don’t want Matthews outside on the edge yet, (emphasis on ‘yet’), because once his (4y/4.94M) rookie deal is up after 2017, they’ll have to negotiate with him at market price.

For perspective, the most expensive slot WR you can think of was Wes Welker. In 2007 Welker signed an extension in New England for 5y/18.1M. In 2012 it was a one year franchise tag of 9.15M. He went to Denver in 2013 for 2y/12M. Collectively that’s 8y/39.6M, or roughly 4.95M per year.

The market for outside guys? Here are 5 guys who finished within 10 receptions of Matthews in 2015: A.J. Green 5y/70M (14py); Randall Cobb 4y/40M (10py); Golden Tate 5y/31M (6py); Eric Decker 5y/36M (7py); Jeremy Maclin 5y/55M (11py). I didn’t even touch the Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, Jordy Nelson echelon of WR. I kept it where Matthews would be if his rookie deal were up today. Keep in mind that with inflation, those numbers will be higher in 2018, and things will also have to be bent around Fletcher Cox‘s impending contract.

Relegating Matthews as a slot WR changes his market and drops his price tag. Sure, after he’s re-signed the Eagles could always move him outside, and they’d have an outside guy at a bargain bin price. Sounds smart at first. The problem with that: If I can figure that ruse out, you can bet your ass that Matthew’s agent sees it too and is preparing his client.

Let’s recall two other players the Eagles tried to save a buck on: Reggie White and Brian Dawkins. Here’s another: Terrell Owens. Let’s do one more: Evan Mathis. Nickel and diming players has always blown up in this franchise’s face, and we always ended up needing the player, more than player needed to be here. Every one of those guys had success where they went next, and we ended up with holes that in some cases took years to fill. Why do that again? Especially considering that with the picks we traded away, it’ll be harder than normal to replace him.

I mentioned earlier that Matthews could be doing more for the Offense, if he lined up on the outside. Here’s what I mean. Matthews is a big WR who actually plays like one. He’s not the sort of WR that a CB wants to have to handle alone, after the catch. That means sliding a Safety out of the box and farther outside towards him. Not only would this loosen things inside for the running game, but it would open room to roam for a TE like Zach Ertz.

Cramming Matthews inside lets teams to keep a Safety in the box, which allows their LB’s to key on the run. How did Matthews in the slot played out for us? Well just look at us over the last two years. Our run game was sputtering even in LeSean McCoy‘s last year here, and it was all but dead last year. On the outside we had no mismatches to exploit, and it did nothing to make life easier on anyone. The results speak for themselves.

This is a naked attempt at price control and nothing more. It was cute of Head Coach Doug Pederson to say that Matthews will be “moved around” this year. It’ll be interesting to see how often Matthews starts games in the slot, vs how many times in a game he’s motioned to the outside.

All I can do at this point, is hope that Pederson has a change of heart. Or that others see what I see, give the Eagles hell for it, and maybe help shame them into doing what’s right.