Eagles Movie Evaluation: Protection takeaways from the win over the Saints

This is without doubt one of the most enjoyable Eagles defensive performances I’ve ever watched. I completely cherished this movie from the Saints sport. Let’s get into it.

(Beforehand — Eagles Film Analysis: Offense takeaways from the win over the Saints)

I used to be so essential of the Eagles’ defensive philosophy final week. Let’s shortly recap what I stated.

Hear, the gamers deserve blame. Milton Williams was blown up by double groups just a few instances. Moro Ojomo struggled towards double groups. They didn’t play nicely towards the Falcons’ outsize zone run scheme. However they weren’t helped by their coach. The Eagles refused to play 5-man fronts with Jordan Davis as a nostril deal with. 5-man fronts may be excellent towards outdoors zone as they provide gamers one-on-one matchups and stop the offensive line from attending to the second stage. For those who stick Jordan Davis at nostril, you make it a hell of loads tougher for Lindstrom to get to the 2nd stage and take out Baun as he does right here, once more. However the Eagles didn’t modify and continued to run these 4-man fronts out. I do know enjoying a 5-man entrance may give you points in go protection since you lose a defender, however I don’t care. Nothing else issues to me should you can’t cease the run on early downs

I’m not exaggerating after I say this week was fully totally different. It was like watching a distinct staff. The Eagles have been obsessive about stopping the run. They performed the run on early downs prefer it was 4th and 1. It was superior to see. It’s price declaring that the Saints play a really totally different model to the Falcons. The Saints made it simpler in some methods for the Eagles to get to their 5-man fronts by enjoying a variety of 12 and 21 personnel. However that doesn’t take away from the protection this week. They have been excellent towards the run. Nakobe Dean appears actually good enjoying behind a 5-man entrance, as he’s often saved clear and may play sideline-to-sideline soccer. It fits his model.

Vic Fangio was on fireplace this week. He performed a variety of 5-man fronts, however he didn’t simply use commonplace 5-man fronts. He rotated Zack Baun from linebacker to EDGE simply earlier than the snap again and again. This completely modified the Eagles’ defensive entrance a second earlier than the play, and the Saints couldn’t deal with it. While you change the entrance earlier than the snap, you might be placing a variety of stress on an offensive line’s capacity to speak and alter on the fly. I feel Zack Baun has been the Eagles’ most vital participant on protection from a schematic goal, however he can play varied roles nicely. He can play at EDGE, and off-ball linebacker, and never many gamers can do each nicely. The opposite cause why not many groups can transfer an off-ball linebacker to EDGE earlier than the snap is as a result of they don’t have an EDGE defender who can shift inside to defensive deal with. The Eagles do. The Eagles have Brandon Graham, who performed loads on this sport due to this!

It is a incredible instance of the Eagles shifting Baun on the final second. This resulted in a 6-man entrance, which the Eagles used at instances. It isn’t simply the truth that the Eagles performed extra 5-man and 6-man fronts. Additionally they used personnel that have been higher towards the run. Simply take a look at the six gamers within the entrance beneath! That may be a robust entrance to run on. Brandon Graham makes an incredible play, as does Jalen Carter. We are going to get to Jalen Carter later as a result of I may write an essay on his efficiency.

I do know I’ve posted just a few performs on Baun shifting to EDGE already however I can’t assist it. I like the way it labored towards the Saints. I discussed Brandon Graham’s versatility earlier, however Milton Williams deserves a shoutout, too. There have been instances when the Eagles lined up like this and didn’t transfer Baun, leaving Williams because the EDGE defender. I actually like that concept. He can’t precisely rush the quarterback any worse than Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff at the moment are. And he’s loads higher towards the run than Huff and Josh Sweat, so why not?

Zack Baun may carry broad receivers vertically down the sector. Now appears like an excellent time to remind everybody that Baun signed a one-year $1.6 million contract this 12 months. Is it too early to barter with Baun on a contract extension? I’m unsure it’s.

Proper, it’s time to speak about Jalen Carter. I don’t assume I’ve seen a single participant’s efficiency as dominant in an extended, very long time. I feel Carter is a participant who will get pissed off simply, however when he’s successful, he begins enjoying with actual freedom. You possibly can nearly see that he’s having a blast on the market. He was single-handedly blowing up performs at instances. The Saints couldn’t deal with him as a run defender or go rusher. After the primary couple of weeks, I’ve stated to not fear about Jalen Carter. I nonetheless assume he’s probably the most gifted participant on the Eagles roster. I have said before that I think he has ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ talent, and he confirmed it on this sport. He was unbelievable this week.

This was additionally a very good signal. The Eagles haven’t been an excellent stunt staff for a very long time, and it’s one thing that each good protection ought to have the ability to do. It could actually assist with a go rush and take a look at the offensive line’s capacity to speak. It was good to see a stunt lead to a sack, and hopefully, that is one thing we see extra of the remainder of the season.

Simply take a look at how late the Eagles shift Baun to EDGE right here. That is so late! That must be so arduous for an offense to foretell. As soon as once more, you possibly can see Milton Williams at EDGE right here. Jalen Carter wrecks the play, in fact. The rationale why I just like the 5-man fronts is as a result of I feel it fits the Eagles’ personnel higher. It will get the defensive linemen extra one-on-one matchups and retains the Eagles’ linebackers clear. The Eagles do not have large stacked linebackers who can fly down and tackle guards on the level of assault, so I feel they will wrestle to cease the run from a 4-2 entrance. Which is why I’m not prepared to say the protection is mounted after one week. I nonetheless must see the Eagles use these 5-man fronts towards groups who play extra 11 personnel. We would discover out this weekend because the Bucs run a variety of 11 personnel, however in addition they can’t run the ball in any respect. So we’d see the Eagles return to extra 4-man fronts.

Whether or not you play a 4-man entrance, a 5-man entrance, or a 6-man entrance, none of that issues should you don’t have the mentality that you simply need to cease the run. The Fangio’ teaching tree has continuously been criticized for being passive towards the run. Nicely, the Eagles have been something however passive towards the run this week. Seeing how a lot they cared about stopping the run was a pleasure. You get the sensation that the Eagles’ gamers have been studying the criticism on-line, which bothered them. This was an incredible play by Jordan Davis, too. I haven’t talked about Davis but, however I believed he had his finest sport of the 12 months.

Everybody on the protection should play a component if you wish to cease the run. C. J. Gardner-Johnson was signed due to his versatility in protection. However in back-to-back weeks, he has made excellent performs in short-yardage conditions. Final week, he stopped Bijan Robinson on 4th and 1. This previous week, he stopped Alvin Kamara on third and 1. CJGJ talks a variety of trash however backs it up on the sector. This was an incredible play.

Stopping a staff from gaining a yard on third and 4th down is troublesome. As soon as once more, it is a incredible play by Zack Baun. I’ll repeat what I stated earlier: ought to the Eagles begin speaking to Baun a couple of contract extension? I truthfully assume I might. His value will preserve going up if he retains enjoying like this!

Jalen Carter. My goodness. There’s nothing else to say. He was simply unbelievable on this sport. Extremely, he didn’t find yourself with a sack. Which is why you all the time have to look at the movie and may by no means depend on the stats. I haven’t talked about Darius Slay or Quinyon Mitchell in any respect but, and that’s most likely an excellent signal. I believed each of them have been actually good as soon as once more.

This was the weirdest name of the evening. It appeared like man protection with two underneath-hole defenders. That’s fairly an uncommon name that I haven’t seen fairly often. The 2 beneath defenders seem too shut collectively for my part. CJGJ results in man protection with the slot receiver, who can go each methods. It is a robust cowl, however he performs all of it mistaken. It nearly makes me assume he’s presupposed to have outdoors assist, however I’m unsure. Both method, the receiver is broad open.

Lets finish with a constructive play! The Eagles go to man protection once more, however this time, they’ve a deep security. Brandon Graham continued his excellent sport with an incredible rush, which forces Derek Carr to throw off steadiness. Though BG was superb on this sport, I fear a bit about how a lot the Eagles wanted him, contemplating his age. Carr overthrows his receiver, and Reed Blankenship makes a incredible diving interception. These diving interceptions aren’t straightforward and that is the second time that Reed Blankenship has made nearly the very same play. I feel Blankenship has had a superb begin to the season, and I’ve all the time thought he is without doubt one of the most underrated Eagle defenders.

This was a enjoyable sport to look at. The Buccaneers play a really totally different model of offense to the Saints and they’re going to create totally different challenges for the Eagles to cope with, however I’m feeling fairly good after this week.

Thanks for studying! I’d love to listen to your ideas, so be at liberty to remark beneath and ask any questions. For those who loved this piece, you could find extra of my work and podcast here.