The Eagles defense started strong last night and barely hung on at the end to help the Birds to a hard fought 19-17 win over the Giants. This was by no means a great performance, but they made just enough plays.
The Eagles defensive line wasn’t able to get to Giants quarterback Eli Manning but they were able to get some pressure on him all night long. Manning made a lot of throws without following through and had to throw a few balls out of bounds.
The Eagles cornerbacks were in the spotlight all night long in what were up and down performances.
The Eagles best cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie made a huge interception in the end zone in the second half, which stopped a sure scoring opportunity for the Giants. DRC was also beaten inside by Victor Cruz on the 4th
Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha came to the Eagles as a future Hall of Famer, but now he has become the target of nearly every opposing offense. The only time he covers his receiver is when he jams him at the line of scrimmage.
If Asomugha doesn’t get a good jam at the snap of the ball, he’s a great disadvantage because he doesn’t change direction very well. He isn’t able to stay with the smarter and quicker receivers, plus he doesn’t do a good job of playing the ball in the air.
I thought the former Oakland Raider was very fortunate that the Giants Ramses Barden was the receiver he had to cover with the game on the line and not their starter Hakeem Nicks, who missed the game because of a foot injury. Asomugha was glued to Barden on the key play of the game, when Manning threw the ball deep and the Giants receiver interfered with the Eagles cornerback.
It became an interference penalty and moved the Giants 10 yards back and turned a 44-yard field goal attempt into a 54 yardage which came up short. Asomugha can celebrate, but he doesn’t need to celebrate too long because he must step up his game.
I thought backup cornerback Brandon Hughes did a better job than the first string cornerback who came here as a guy, who quarterbacks feared. Nobody seems to be afraid of Nnamdi now. Hughes was very aggressive with the receivers, but he was able to change direction with the receivers and close on the ball once it was thrown. They need to start getting this young man on the field more often.
First round draft pick Fletcher Cox is headed in the right direction and could the monster in the middle that the Birds need. I love the way imposed his will on the Giants defensive line on a number of run and pass plays. There’s nothing more valuable than a dominating defensive tackle because he can destroy and affect a running or passing play if he gets penetration.
The Birds limited the Giants running game, which allowed them to get pressure on Eli Manning.
No turnovers. Continued to run the ball in the second half though they were not successful in the first half, which paid huge dividends. A lot of 3 and 5 step drops to receivers who were 5-15 yards downfield, rather than waiting for long plays to develop leading to sacks. Smart running by Vick. BASICALLY all of the things we did not see in the first three games. P.S. the O-line did a pretty good job against the strength of the Giants D.
You can tell people who really know football and those who don’t. Namndi is earning his paycheck..the safeties aren’t. There were 2 or 3 catches where Nanmdi got beat. MOST of the big plays that happened, happened when the SAFETIES were out of place. Namndi is playing the coverages that are called – his job is to move the receiver to the inside and then the safeties are to handle him over top – the goal is for force the QB to throw into a small window if he decides to throw that way at all.
What happened last night is the SAFETIES kept biting on play action and not around to get their man – leaving Namndi high and dry. THAT’S why he smacked Nate Allen upside the head after that one play.
Last week the same thing happened and Coleman tweeted that big Fitzgerald TD was on him NOT Namndi. As far as the PI calls – one was definitely phantom and when you jam folk up like that that’s bound to happen from time to time. But Namndi is a damn good corner who is being asked to do a LOT more than he’s ever had to do before. He was a press guy and only a press guy prior to his stint with the Eagles. So yeah…you’re WAY off where Namndi is concerned.
Wow GCobb great article. I was posting my thoughts about Nnamdi and see the same thing as you wrote:
Eagles cornerback Nmandi Asomugha came to the Eagles as a future Hall of Famer, but now he has become the target of nearly every opposing offense. The only time he covers his receiver is when he jams him at the line of scrimmage.
if Asomugha doesn’t get a good jam at the snap of the ball, he’s a great disadvantage because he doesn’t change direction very well. He isn’t able to stay with the smarter and quicker receivers, plus he doesn’t do a good job of playing the ball in the air.
I thought the former Oakland Raider was very fortunate that the Giants Ramses Barden was the receiver he had to cover with the game on the line and not their starter Hakeem Nicks, who missed the game because of a foot injury. Asomugha was glued to Barden on the key play of the game, when Manning threw the ball deep and the Giants receiver interfered with the Eagles cornerback.
It became an interference penalty and moved the Giants 10 yards back and turned a 44-yard field goal attempt into a 54 yardage which came up short. Asomugha can celebrate, but he doesn’t need to celebrate too long because he must step up his game.
G, I gotta admit when I wrote this the responses I was getting such as:
Real talk – Nnamdi gave up some plays, but he made some big ones as well! Again, you dont watch the games! A few plays against Nnamdi happen because the safeties weren’t giving help….did you watch the game? if so you would of heard the commentary…saying, the play action pass, brings our safeties up, instead of playing the run the safeties should be playing the pass. Which makes total sense to me, but a nitwit like yourself, seems to be having a hard time understanding anything pertaining to football
zoltec – Nhamdi blows? do you know anything about football ? for starters he probably had 1 eye. Secondly when you have safety help and your safety bites on every play action and the ball is over your head, that is not your fault.
he is running the play that is called… get a clue
Steveo – Im fine with nnamdi… he IS a shut down corner.
Anyways thanks G, I was beginning to think my eyes dont work . Good to see someone write about a hole in this team and a major disappointment so far.
now here is tsjohnson blaming nnamdis deficiencies on safeties. lol. some people just cant interpret reality.
TS – nnamdi has a job to do, if he gets burnt he gets burnt, the safeties are the help bro and the safeties are taught to be aggressive in this D. The safeties are doing what they are told to do, now if you wanna blame the safeties for nnamdis eagles struggles be my guest but your wrong, nnamdi isnt doing his job.
@MHeShe – G Cobb ain’t god! he doesn’t know it all! in fact he’s a hater just like you! What’s funny is G Cobb doens’t mention the defense vs the play action pass…! Another half assed article in my opinion!
Yep Gcobb a former football player who now dedicates themselves to covering this team is just a hater, this website just spews eagles hate. Also objective analysis equals hating. what an idiot.
I know some people just don’t have the brains to understand this but I will try.
1. The Eagles play a lot of Wide 9 base defense
2. This base defense creates a lot of running lanes for opponents.
3. To compensate the Eagles coaches coach their safeties to be extremely aggressive against the run.
4. This aggressiveness naturally leads to the safeties biting on playaction.
5.The corners then match up 1 on 1 (MAN ON MAN) with a WR and the corner or the wr wins.
6. When the corner loses the corner loses.
7. When the corner loses the 1 on 1 battle it is nobodys fault besides the corners.
This is fundamental stuff here boys, if you do not understand these facts and concepts it may be best to go to training camp next year and see the techniques that are taught. Read an NFL coaching instructional book. Hell go watch any of our local college teams practice and generally the coaches of these teams are pretty friendly – talk to them.
MHeShe – you simply don’t understand your role…you also don’t understand the role a CB plays on specific coverages..the way you talk is that the corner back should be man to man every time! how foolish!
the thing with the safeties they have to understand when there are passing situations and read pass or run…this is part of a safeties role! A position in which I understand because that is the position I played, a college coach can’t tell me anything I dont know!
What happens with zone coverage then MHeShe, if the corner is always matched up man to man?
I will say you are correct in the Eagles teaching the safeties to be aggressive against the run, however, safeties have to read pass/run…to think the safeties are gearing up to play against the run and the run only is the most idiotic thing I’ve heard! you are a simpleton! Shit is not as simple as you always make them out to be!
Out of curiosity. Can anyone answer me this question.
In the NBA when a shooting guard does a nasty crossover on another shooting guard and breaks the defenders ankles then drives to the hoop and dunks did the defending shooting guard blow the play or was it the Centers fault for not blocking the shot?
Kevin Kolb hit Michael Floyd for a TD against Boykin in between Ryans’ zone drop in the red zone
The Giants saw this on the game film and repeated with
Eli Manning hitting Victor Cruz for a TD on the same exact play
Either Boykin makes the adjustment for the Steeler game or take him out of Red Zone D
highly impressed with djax so far. didnt think last year was a fluke, he is playing at a very high level with vick throwing him the ball at that
pretty easy to tell nnamdi is not having success in zone and didnt have success in zone last year. hence the reason why he is playing a lot more man this year. some plays he is draped all over the wr some plays he gets burnt. the eagles are using nnamdi this year in mostly man to man and he has not yet stepped up to the challenge
I’m not down on Nnamdi as some of you are. The pass interference calls on him and DRC were bullshit. And he got rapes by Barsden at the end of the game. Easy call there…I’m not sure but I think DRC and Nnamdi have only given up 1 td in 4 games…can’t be mad about that.
Djax is playing big this year. He doesn’t have a drop yet so far this season on catchable balls…Could have easily had a 60 yard TD (i think in the 3rd quarter) but Vick made a really ugly throw.
mhenski, sure Nnamdi can play better. He should be better based off how much money he is getting paid but as long as he is not giving up TDs on the regular (only 1 I think so far this season) I can deal with it. He doesn’t have to be elite for this Defense to be successful.
“This aggressiveness naturally leads to the safeties biting on playaction.”
@ Mhenski when has biting on playaction.”
FAKE……been a good thing ?
You are correct that the Safeties are needed more for Run Support …
Key word there RUN
pheags i know for a fact that nnamdi gave up a TD to fitzgerald in man to man coverage and a TD to jacoby jones in man to man coverage
luv im not saying its good or bad but when you play the wide9 base d its the safeties have to cheat against the run
Here’s my take on Nnamdi
Every opposing Teams WR’s play like All-Pro’s when they go against him
Jacoby Jones, D Hixon, R Barsden so far this year and receivers like the Bears Bennett and Gaints Cruz from last year who none of these WR’s are Top WR’s at all though Cruz has since developed into one.. the rest of these guys are 3rd/4th Stringers who constantly beat Nnamdi deep and to the ball..
Here’ another perplexing problem..
Why does it seem like every other Kicker in the NFL booms their Kick-offs Deep and even beyond the Endzone where most are not returnable..
Eagles Kicker Henery struggles to get them to the Goal LIne
This Eagles Coverage Team is Terrible.. Where are are these Special Teamers that the Eagles are supposed to have (Rolle,Matthews,Tapp,Hunt,Marsh)
Maybe when they return COlt Anderson and Riley Cooper we will see some improvement but I have stated many times that Special Teams Coach Bobby April has done very little in his 4 Years with the Eagles and in fact I believe is the Highest Paid Special Team Coach in the NFL back when he was hired
I would fire his ass today and hire Ike Reese to Coach Special Teams .
I also stated that carrying 4 RB’s (3 of which) – Dion Lewis,Bryce Brown, & Chris Polk play no Special teams is a Luxury the Eagles can’t afford and that Carrying 6 DE’s and 10 total DL is also 1 too many..