DeMeco Ryans On Eagles D [media id=327 width=480 height=360] Eagles defensive coordinator BillyDavis has been looking at tape of the 2012 Washington Redskins. He knows that they ran the ball as well as anybody a year ago with rookie running back Alfred Morris running for over 1600 yards.
Davis also knows that Robert Griffin III is one of the most accurate passers in the NFL, and Washington is probably the best play action offense in the league. Grffin sells the play fake very well, so the Birds safeties must be slow to come up on running plays. If you haven’t heard the Eagles don’t have the best safeties in the league.
The Eagles have a defense which is trying to transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 in one offseason. Usually that means mistakes, such as guys keeping the wrong arm free or defending the wrong running lane, which equals holes for the runners to run through. It means safeties coming up to help out, when they should have been going back. I’m sure Davis didn’t sleep well last night, because he was probably thinking about his safeties trying to decipher whether it’s run or pass.
“I’m very anxious for the Redskins to show us who we are and where we are,” the Eagles’ defensive coordinator said. “The truth will be, at the end of that game, we’ll know defensively how far along we are. We’re coming up against the top rushing offense in the NFL last year, fifth in scoring, one of the top offenses out there. They’re very talented across the board. They played all 16 games together last season,” which can’t be said of Davis’ defense.
We will see if Davis does something new to stop the Redskins running game. Again remember that the Birds are still in the process of learning the defense, so he wants to keep things simple to avoid mistakes. They’ll be really learning the defense for most of the season. Book knowledge and practice work is good to an extent, but you can’t beat actual game experience.
Will the Birds defense play assignment football? Playing assignment football means doing your job first before you do anything else. It means keeping the correct hand free, so that you can come off the block and make the tackle. It also means getting as deep as you need to be, when you’re playing safety rather cheating up to try to help out against the run.
“This season has got to be about this defense getting to where everybody wants it to be . . . the Washington game is our starting point, and I don’t know where along the scale we are, but wherever that is, that’s the ground level, and we have got to take it a lot higher, even if that’s a great game against Washington,” Davis said. “We are at Stage 1 as a coaching staff of a scheme and of a major overhaul of a defense.”
It means an inside linebacker getting up so close on the running back that he can smell his breath, if he’s their coverage, so he won’t leave enough room in between himself and the back, so that they can set up a screen. Once those offensive linemen get in between you and the back, you’re done.
The Skins offensive line led by left tackle Trent Williams are outstanding in that zone blocking scheme. They do an excellent job of getting defensive linemen moving with that stretch look on each running play. Morris does a great job running laterally for a few steps, then finding the hole and making that one cut to get through the hole and downfield.
Once they get the running game going, Grffin will take the snap then turn his back to the line, as if he’s going to hand the ball off to Morris, but he hides it on his hip before turning around and looking downfield for a big play. If the Eagles safeties start creeping up on run plays, the Skins will start running those play action fakes.
Somebody tell Patrick Chung, Nate Allen and rookie Eric Wolff to stay deep because I don’t want to see them on Sportscenter for the rest of the week.
I would like to see Davis emphasize forcing turnovers. This could be the only answer for this defense this year. The Eagles defense is going to give up yardage and touchdowns as they get more comfortable with the defensive scheme, but they can play hard and attack the ball to force turnovers. You can tackle the football like Dallas was doing last night. Forcing turnovers could turn a suspect defense into a winner.
Twitter@Garry Cobb
Give Davis Credit for Honesty – It’s not an excuse when it’s true- This Defense is a total unknown and will take a whole season and another off season to begin to take shape.
Year 3 should be a competative year. Any other thought is simply hopeful wishing
I saw 4-5 Good Defense’s Yesterday
Seahawks, Panthers,Dolphins, Chiefs, & Titans and even throw in the Steelers.
There are not many Good Defense’s in the NFL these Days..
The Key is clamping down in the Red-Zone and holding Offense to FG’s instead of TD’s and of course, creating Turnovers and then getting those crucial shutodwns on 3rd Down and epsecially late in Games..
Thought Carolina D was most impressive against the Seahawks.
As far as the Titans/Steelers game, Tenn got CJ in space 0 times during the game. He had zero catches. That offense is horrible.
Yes I agree as was the Jaguars and QB Weeden for the Browns played poorly yesterday against the Dolphins.. My bigger Point is that there are very few good NFL Defenses any longer.. the Game and the Rules are just so heavily slanted to the Wide Open Passing that we see most of the NFL Teams build themselves to play..
Eagles will be just fine, generate turnovers, stop them on downs this isnt rocket science even if your transitioning to a 3-4 under scheme the same way you sack a qb or intercept a qb or tackle has been always the same. Eagles show whos boss in this game. Eagles 31 Deadskins 23.
the Eagles could have 13 players on the field and their defense still couldn’t generate a 3 and out. Last year Trent Williams beat the living crap out of Mychal Kendricks. At least Kendricks won’t be in his neighborhood tonight being an inside LB this season instead of OT territory. The Eagles have better 4-3 team personal than 3-4 personal but still are attempting to play a 3-4. In one side of Chip Kelly’s mouth he wants to go with Mike Vick because it gives them the best chance to win but go with the 3-4 to develop for the future ( conflicting)
Eagles0superbowls why are you here? No like serious? What type of screen name is that? Are you a professional troll? Another team fan and comment here because of lack of girlfriend,life,sex etc??
LOL,
I’m not allowed to take shots at a 4-12 team?
I’m not allowed to make fun of Jeff Lurie’s Championshipsss day one speech with my sign in name?
I intermediately backed off Charlie Manuel and Bill Giles when they delivered and will respect Charlie Manuel for life.
Jeff Lurie took the City of Philadelphia for a Navy Yard practice palace where no one is allowed to enter and a stadium for ZERO parades.
when the eagles make an upswing I’ll cheer but they were the worst team in the NFC last year. The Eagles hired the Cleveland Browns coaching staff this off season, C’mon man!
He is a troll he is prohibited from having a life a gf, sexual relations etc. So he eats, breaths, lives Trolling our sites.
fly eagles fly on the way to victory
here jeff lurie and comcast take my top of the line money for bottom dollar product
Oh so you will cheer when they turn it around but other then that you wont cheer them? Your such a lousy Fan of the Eagles your only half the fan, Nothing wrong with criticizing the team for its failures but to stop cheering for them unless they win that isnt a fan.
the eagles are 0-0 and the skins are 0-0 lets not talk about the past
So he is admitting he is a front runner and fair weather fan?? Well here is a list of teams accepting those fans
patriots
49ers
Saints
Redskins
Miami Heat
Yankees
Plenty of reason to be worried about this D but im pumped to see what we have.
If you don’t have the 3-4 personnel than play a f**king 4-3 until you get the personnel.What the hell are they going to do give up 60 points trying to implement a system and lose games or play a system that may only give up 30 points with a chance to win. WTF
Oh yeah where are all the Gus Bradley lovers at.
I’m right here. Never backpedalling from that. He’ll be our D-Coordinator soon.
Transitioning from one of the Leagues worst teams USUALLY is not a 1 year turn around.
Half the Talent on this team does not Fit
D Jackson – Too small to Block but has the speed.
M Vick – Too Old and not Kelly’s Future (Bad resign)
T Cole – OLB Really
B Graham – Hmm
V Curry – (Talent and potential/ lost in this scheme?)
N Foles – Young Pocket Passer maybe upside but wrong style.
Need a S, NT, and OLB upgrade that are unavailable.
Enjoy the good but really expectations are Get me the # 1 overall cause we need it!
Man look all bickering aside GO BIRDS LET KICK SOME ASS.
Let’s go Birds!!!
great play by williams talk the talk and walk the walk that’s what I am saying man.
LZb’s played very well last evening,
Coke early was all over, then Kendrick’s shooting thru gaps making hits & tackles and Barwin held his edge well all evening..
How many times did ztedskins get to the edge..
I recall about 3-4 times all game so great job by LB’s which is always the key to a solid 3-4 Scheme which is designed for DL to clog up blockers and gaps and let the LB run to make Plays.. A very good Startvto the Season Defensively..
I also liked some of the Blitz packages with sending ILB’s and CB’s..
This was fun to watch.. Nice job by DC Davis..