Eagles Coordinators Evaluation
The Eagles are 10-3 this season and up until recently, were Super Bowl favorites for their performances this season. However, they’re on a bit of a skid right now and everyone around the sports community is questioning their legitimacy. This week, a report came out stating that Eagles players are upset due to the “predictable” nature of the offensive scheme. Moreover, the defense, which is loaded with high-profile players, has been largely disappointing so far this season. The Eagles lost both coordinators last year, Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen, and it seems as if their replacements don’t have the trust of the Eagles locker room.
Head Coach Nick Sirianni and the rest of the coaches are working to fix this issue. Eagles players have been ensuring the media that in their eyes the building isn’t burning down, but with a few more losses and bad performances, it very well might be. Here is where the Eagles coordinators are struggling the most and how can they fix it.
Eagles Offense and Offensive Coordinator Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson took over one of the most talented offenses in the league, and while they have had moments of brilliance, they have looked disjointed throughout the season. The stat that has been going around this week is about their lack of pre-snap motion within the offense. The Eagles rank last in the NFL in plays with pre-snap motion, at 25%. The pre-snap motion does two things, one being it helps the quarterback have a better sense of the defense the opposing team is running. If a receiver motions across the field, if the defensive back follows them, it’s most likely man coverage, if not, then it’s most likely zone coverage. The other thing it does is help create misdirection by giving the defense more to worry about. It gives the Eagles more options rather than standard runs or standard passes, with jet sweeps and screens off the motion.
Jalen Hurts is a great quarterback, but he’s not elite yet in reading the defense from the pocket. Adding in more pre-snap motion will help Hurts out in that department, by having a better idea of what the defense is doing before the snap. However, that’s not the Eagles’ biggest problem. The “predictable nature’ of the Eagles’ offense stems from a lack of variety in formations. The Eagles run 11 personnel a staggering 71% of the time. When you’re only playing from one formation it gives the defense a lot less to prepare for or worry about. The defense and their coaches know what’s coming based on their hours of film study and the game becomes simple for both sides. The simple answer is to utilize more formations, but Brian Johnson must craft reasons for changing formations and strategies that will set stuff up later in the game as well.
Eagles Defense and Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai
The most disappointing thing about the Eagles this year has been their defense. With the influx of first-round draft pick, Jalen Carter, there were high expectations of the Eagles’ defense. However, they have largely lacked in the secondary and have been giving up way too many yards. The biggest problem is their performance on third downs this year. Currently, the Eagles let the opposing team convert 48% of their third down plays. The issues with the defense stem from a lack of identity, which is surprising given their talent and high price tags.
Unlike the offensive side of the ball, teams can get away with uncreative defenses. Think of the Legion of Boom with the Seattle Seahawks. Yes, they would get beat occasionally, but their expertise in their own defense made sure that they all played their roles soundly and efficiently. They were a team much like the Eagles, with tons of talent and playmakers. Even though the offense knew the defensive scheme the Seahawks were running, the talent on the defensive side of the ball often won out. There’s no insinuation that the Eagles’ defense can reach the heights of the Legion of Boom, but with a clear scheme, it will cause less confusion and offer more insight into how the offense is going to attack the Eagles.
Eagles Coordinator Conclusion
Life without Steichen and Gannon hasn’t been stellar so far for the Eagles. There are weaknesses that need to be fixed and they need to be fixed soon. Lucky for them, they should have some good time for experimentation considering the remainder of their schedule. The remaining teams the Eagles will play are the Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants (twice), and Arizona Cardinals. Winning out is imperative for the Eagles NFC East title hopes, but they also need to prepare themselves for the playoffs. They desperately need variety on offense and a commitment to the run game. Defensively, they need to start crafting an identity, preferably through their defensive line, their biggest strength. By shoring up the secondary, the defensive line will be able to wreak havoc again which is imperative for the Eagles Super Bowl chances.
Main Photo: [Bill Streicher] – USA Today Sports
