As everybody is getting back to work after vacations and Labor Day weekend, the Eagles coaches are busy putting together their game plans. The Eagles used to win a lot of games on Tuesdays, we’re going to have to wait and see if this continues.
Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg have always been effective in finding weaknesses in a defense’s schemes and their personnel. Yes, they’ve been unbalanced in their run-pass ratio at times but they know how to attack a defense.
They’ve been putting together this game plan for a few weeks. That Panther defense is nothing to write home about, if you effectively block Julius Peppers. Their secondary can be had.
On the defensive side of the ball, new defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will have to design defenses, fronts and blitzes for Carolina’s running game and passing attack. We’ll have to wait and see how quickly he masters the game planning.
McDermott sat under Jim Johnson for years, now he’ll have to figure things out without a lot of help from his assistants because of their lack of experience.
Linebacker coach Bill Shuey is in only his second year and defensive line coach Rory Seagrest is in his first year in the job. Hopefully former Cowboys defensive coordinator Brian Stewart and former Eagles safety Mike Zordich will be able to help.
McDermott can’t blitz too much and leave his cornerbacks in one-one-one situations on Steve Smith. You can’t let Smith scare them away from blitzing, but the blitz has to get there and not give quarterback Jake Delhomme all day to throw the ball.
The Eagles defensive line must step up and give McDermott some help. They can’t expect him to take all the responsibility of putting pressure on the Delhomme with blitz packages.
That front four has to get to him out of a straight pass rush.
During the game keep an eye on how much the Eagles are blitzing and how much they’re getting to Delhomme out of a straight pass rush.
