Why oh why can’t the Eagles cover the tight end?
It’s become a usual occurence for the tight end on the team playing the Eagles to have a Pro Bowl day.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that tight ends have big games against the Eagles.
The main reason that the Eagles have so much trouble covering the tight ends is that they don’t do a good job of jamming them and delaying their release.
A Cardinal rule of covering the tight end is that you can’t let him get off the line with an easy release.
Jim Johnson was never big on putting the Sam linebacker (strongside outside linebacker) head up on the tight end and demanding that he not let him off the the line of scrimmage.
Sean McDermott has followed this pattern and it’s meant that tight ends continue to have success against the Birds.
I think they need to start jamming that tight end. Eagles Sam linebacker, Chris Gocong must learn how to line up over the tight end and get his hands on him.
He has to be able to line up over the tight end, then strike him with his hands and grab him with both hands as he tries to release.
He won’t be able to grab him for more than a second or two, but he needs to pound him by generating power from his legs and abdomen to knock the tight end off stride.
He will line up in his stance over the tight end and explode out of it on the snap of the football. Sometimes he will hit the tight end so hard it will cause him to lose his forward momentum.
They won’t be able to do it every play, but they need to do it often.
Gocong will have an easier time covering the tight end, if he delays his release for two or three seconds.
It will make it easier for the safeties to cover the tight end if Gocong learns to pound him and delay his release.
The other problem they have with the tight ends is the fact that other than Quintin Mikell who does a good job of covering tight ends, but they don’t have any other guys who match up well against the tight end.
Macho Harris is too small, while Jeremiah Trotter is too slow and Gocong doesn’t change direction well enough.
That’s why I say beat him up before he gets off the line of scrimmage.
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