This is a Cheat Sheet which could be titled Game Planning For A Blitzing Defense. It isn’t a conclusive guide to preparing for a team that loves to blitz, but it’s a start for the Eagles who are acting like it’s the first time they’ve ever seen a blitzing defense.
The New York Giants blitzed Michael Vick and the Eagles twice this season and had success each time. They lost both games but they pounded Vick and limited his effectiveness. They also came very close to winning each time.
The Minnesota Vikings came after Vick countless times, put pressure on him, forced three turnovers, returned one for a touchdown and found a way to win with a rookie quarterback leading their offense.
Minnesota’s defense could have added another three or four interceptions, if they had been able to catch the football.
It’s reasonable to believe that the Eagles playoff foes are going to blitz them. They may not blitz every play, but they’re sure to do it quite a bit of the time. The Birds have no choice but to prepare for the blitz because they’re going to get a lot of it.
I think Philly’s brain trust needs to brush up on their philosophy of countering the blitz, so I decided to help them.
Concerning what the Vikings were doing last night by blitzing cornerback Antoine Winfield off the slot the receiver, there are standard remedies for it.
Normally when a cornerback blitzes, the best place to go with the football is to the man whom the cornerback was covering. It must be done quickly on a one, two or at the most three step drop. The safety who is trying to get to his coverage usually is coming from a distance, so the short throw is normally open.
They could run a hitch to the slot receiver and give him a chance to gain yardage. If this is done effectively and consistently it will force teams to abandon that blitz. The key is having a solid plan for it and working on it before the game.
Vick has recognize the blitz, then get that ball of his hands much quicker. He needs to be able to complete a short pass and stop taking all of those hits.
Number seven is starting to look like the number seven who played for the Falcons a few years back. In much the same way he did at the end of the New York game, Vick was taking his eyes off of downfield, looking at the pass rush and thinking run first and pass second.
He can’t play that way because it would mean going backwards as a quarterback. He’s got to read the blitz and get rid of the football. The Giants tried to blitz Aaron Rodgers last Sunday and he shredded them and avoided taking a bunch of hits.
The running game is also good option versus the blitz. Quick hitters up the middle and draws can turn into big plays versus the blitz. Screens are also good options versus the blitz because you’re able to get the defense over committed to putting pressure on the quarterback.
You can put in maximum protection plays in the game plan as a way of preparing for the blitz. On maximum protection, the tight ends and running backs stay in to block while the wide receivers go out on routes. Many times it’s a recipe for a big play because the cornerbacks may be in one-on-one coverage on the wide receivers without deep help.
You can roll the quarterback outside to get away from the blitz. This buys time for the quarterback and receivers to get open and connect. Again you could buy more time for the receiver to get open and for the quarterback to get him the ball, while catching the cornerbacks in man-to-man coverage
Tight end Brent Celek and Vick have to get into an understanding where the quarterback knows he’s going to be open versus the blitz, or he looks his way and gets rid of the football.
Jason Avant is a good option because he’s a smart football player, who can be depended on to read the blitz and make the necessary adjustment.
Rookie wide receiver Riley Cooper has the size and smarts to be a good option on short passes versus the blitz.
The next game Vick plays for the Eagles which I think should be in the playoffs, the Birds must have a series of options in the game plan for him which allow him to get rid of the football.
They must anticipate the blitz in their game plan and Vick must anticipate the blitz on each and every play. Teams are going to blitz Vick and the Eagles every chance they get. The Birds must make the necessary adjustments to counter it.
Brilliant G! Please email this to Reid and company. Last nights game was one of our worst in a while. I can’t even blame one person..ie Vick or one area of the team..they were all bad. Oh well…it’s over. Now we have a tough road to hoe in the playoffs.
Eagles Notes: Vick tries to downplay injury
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Posted: 3:18 a.m.
By Reuben Frank and Andy Schwartz
CSNPhilly.com
Michael Vick limped into the interview and said his leg didn’t affect his performance.
He wasn’t very convincing.
“I played the entire game,” Vick said. “My leg wasn’t 100 percent, but I still felt strong. I still felt like I could get the job done. Maybe I was being selfish but that’s just me. If I couldn’t walk, I would have come out.”
Vick suffered a quad contusion at the end of a 14-yard run on the first play of the game and proceeded to have his worst game as an Eagle Tuesday night in the Eagles’ 24-14 loss to the Vikings at the Linc.
Vick threw an interception and committed two costly fumbles – one was returned for a touchdown, the other came inside the Vikings’ 25-yard-line v and for the first time this year was unable to put up at least 26 points in a game he started and finished.
‘I hurt it on the first play of the game in the scramble,” Vick said. “I just tried to tolerate it throughout the game and I did. I have a strong will to win, and I’ll do anything to win a football game and I just tried to go out there and just get through it.”
Vick was sacked six times, the second-most of his career. The Giants sacked him seven times in 2006 when he was with the Falcons.
He absorbed a number of hits and got up slowly several times, but he said none of the hits – nor the injury – was responsible for his lackluster performance.
“It didn’t affect me because when the ball was snapped, my focus was just making plays that I know I can make,” he said. “I won’t use it as an excuse. It happened. I didn’t come out of the game so I guess it wasn’t that severe. I just got to take the good with the bad.”
The Eagles will get blitz blitz blitz and dumbass Reid will keep passing passing passing. Nothing will change …and I am afraid it will be the same old nightmare we are used to seeing in the playoffs.
Do you remember this article?
Ironic that the numbers are almost identical against both the Bears and Vikes. The result is that our QB is injured.
Inside the Eagles: Eagles’ run-pass ratio remains an issue
POSTED: December 2, 2010
By Jeff McLane
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Eagles spent the short work week running from practice to meeting back to practice and, well, back to meeting again in the short span between Sunday’s loss to the Bears and Thursday’s game against Houston.
All that scurrying around at the NovaCare Complex was enough to make one think that Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg would formulate a game plan that favors the run.
Guard Todd Herremans , trying to keep Chicago’s Anthony Adams off Michael Vick, said the Eagles tried to establish the run against the Bears but gave up on it early.
Insert obligatory Eagles run-pass ratio joke here.
OK, so Reid and his offensive coordinator are unlikely to serve a steady stream of Power-I against the second-to-worst pass defense in the NFL. The Eagles pass to get ahead and then, only with a comfortable margin, do they attempt to drain the clock and run the football down a defense’s esophagus.
It’s worked pretty well to this point. The Eagles are 7-4 and have the No. 2-ranked offense in the NFL.
But if they fall behind early, as they did against Chicago, then even the best-laid run schemes will go awry. The Eagles actually intended to establish the run on their first two plays from scrimmage against the Bears.
“Coach was like, ‘OK, we’re going to smack them in the mouth,’ ” Eagles guard Todd Herremans said. “But as soon as we came out . . . after that first series and we didn’t get the production that I wanted to on those first two plays I was thinking, ‘Man, I hope we stick to it because I know that we can get it right.’ ”
Both runs were behind the left side of the offensive line – Herremans’ side – but LeSean McCoy was dropped for a 1-yard loss and Eldra Buckley gained only 3 yards. Eight of the Eagles’ next nine plays were pass plays as they fell behind, 7-3. And when Chicago surged ahead, 14-3, on the next series, Mornhinweg’s play-calling was understandably pass-heavy.
By game’s end, quarterback Michael Vick had dropped back to pass 51 times and handed off only 15 times. The fact that the Bears’ safeties were playing as far back as Lake Michigan to limit long passes, however, suggested that maybe more plays on the ground would have pulled the secondary in.
“You see them back there and you know that you should be doing it to make up some ground,” Herremans said.
Mornhinweg hears the constant grumbling from fans and critics that the Eagles need to run more. The numbers seem to suggest that the run-pass disparity is less than in years past, but actually – if you classify Vick’s scrambles and sacks as pass plays – the ratio is 63-37.
“I don’t really care – whatever it takes to win the game,” Mornhinweg said. “I don’t care if we throw 30 times in a row or rush it 15 in a row. I really don’t.”
Mornhinweg is more concerned with maximizing the carries, and for the most part his offense has done so. Eagles running backs average 4.8 yards a carry, which is fifth best in the NFL. Those numbers are slightly skewed by Jerome Harrison’s 11 carries for 109 yards last month against the Redskins.
Surprisingly, Harrison had only one carry in the two games since then.
“That’s my responsibility. I got to get him in there a little more,” said Mornhinweg, who often gave the same response to inquiries a few season ago as to why Correll Buckhalter didn’t see the ball more often.
But, for the most part, it is difficult to argue against Reid and Mornhinweg’s pass-first philosophy in their West Coast offense. For instance, the Eagles’ red-zone problems of late – 2 of 10 inside the 20-yard line over the last two games – have been attributed to not running the ball enough when, in fact, running the ball too often may be the cause.
The Eagles have driven inside the red zone 39 times this season and have scored 19 touchdowns. Of the plays inside the red zone that resulted in touchdowns, only 18 of 55 were runs. When the Eagles have been forced to kick field goals or haven’t reached the end zone the 20 other times, the run-pass play-calling is much more balanced (25-35).
The sample is not a complete one and “every game is different,” as Mornhinweg is apt to say, but the numbers suggest that it’s better to pass than to run.
The worst part is that people then blame the QB.
Today, I’ve read some posts claiming that Vick isn’t hitting the hot read. Why aren’t the television commentators pointing that out? Because of his past, most are more than happy to point out Vick’s faults. Not one (including Collingsworth) has made mention of this.
Often, there is no hot read. Too often, we’re in max protect and sending our receivers deep.
Vick has passed every test regarding reading defenses and making the right throws. The problem is with play-calling.
Unfortunately, Vicks play has been steadily declining. The problem appears to be that, now that there’s film of Vick in Reid’s offense available, teams have learned how to play the scheme but Vick and Reid haven’t been able to come up with a counter punch. Without an effective counter, other than Vick running on every play that he can’t go to his first read on, the offense will continue to decline in production. It’s a shame that Reid won’t establish the run early and if not successful early, still stick with it throughout the game since this is about the only effective counter that they have skill to do when committed to it against the pressure on the QB. I’m afraid Reid’s stubbornness will once again be the downfall of another season.
GarryCobb says:
December 28, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Hey you guys, look out. It’s Antoine Winfield coming again on a blitz off the slot side of the formation.
Maybe
The answer is simple – small ball. dink and dunk, screens, reverses, draws, etc.
It’s not Vick’s job to devise a game plan.
Gcobb I completely agree that the running game is a huge coaching issue. But its been an issue for a decade….its not going to change.
So if we understand that Reid is not going to change..he is who he is…, then why is it hard to admit that Vick is also not going to change after 10 yrs in pro football. The problems he;s having with the blitz are problems he’s had his entire career. They;re not going to change.
Gcobb you wrote….”Vick has recognize the blitz, then get that ball of his hands much quicker” He hasn’t been able to do this…ever. What evidence is there that he’s going to begin now?
You also write, “It must be done quickly on a one, two or at the most three step drop.” I haven’t seen a one or 2 step drop all year, and what happens over and over on his (albeit rare) 3 step drops? The ball gets batted down. Vick is very short for a QB.
Reid seems to be calling deep route after deep route….but its on the QB to make the adjustments and recognize what’s coming.
Sounds like good fundamental football G and mostly common sense from a play and formation design that are taught back at the High School/College levels.. I think you can also add the following,
If and when D-Jax is not running a deep route or a quick screen, then get him off the field and use a bigger receiver like an Avant/Cooper who can handle hot-reads and catch those short passes in traffic without being injured.. Also by not having D-Jax out there on every play, you may actually force to defense to blitz less and play more traditional coverages in the Secondary where the open spots are in the middle of tehe field (Again, not where you want D-Jax catching the ball for he may get injured)
but a good spot for a bigger WR like Avant/Cooper
Coach AR should have put Kolb in the 2nd half.. Vick took a pounding last evening and probably couldn’t even play this week (at least effectively) with 3 days rest…
I am starting to work on my off-season research to check on the 2011 Draft, availalble Free-agents and the 3-4-5 pieces that the Eagles need to improve and get to the next level
Areas of specific needs
Interior O/Lineman for Offense (Center & Guard), RB,TE,
DE,CB,OLB,S for the Defense
There are lots of players whose contract’s are up after the Season
QB M Vick ,RB J Harrison, FB O Schmitt, Guards N Cole, MJG & R Wells and then have injured players like FB L Weaver, Center J Jackson to see how they re-hab and whether they are healthy enough to able to come back and play at a high level..
Defensively, players like T Laws, J Parker, E Sims, O Gaither, A Jordan are all free-agents
and then injured players like B Graham, N Allen, E Hobbs (who probably will retire) may not be ready until Sept/Oct based on late season injuries and surgeries..
This season still has opportunities left to get to the Super Bowl but with the many injuries piling up and some spotty play recently, and some coaching schemes, it will be difficult for a deep playoff run.. Add all of this to no “CBA” in place and this makes this off-season very improtant and critical for the next 3-5 Success of the Eagle Franchise.. Perhaps, they peaked too soon..maybe the injuries have caught up to them…
I have to point out that McCoy was a beast last night. He only averaged 3.4 yards per carry, but that’s because he was hit in the backfield a few times for losses. The defense was on top of him when he received the ball. But he was on. His blocking was tenacious and he was ready to run. Only 1 screen.
Well Ozz, I believe you’re right. I was just telling a co-worker of mine, that games like this that we’re suppose to win bother me because we always get to comfortable, lose our edge and the game as well. Starting to feel like the same old playoff picture from years past. last night we should of ran the ball a ton of times to minimize the blitz of Jared Allen and Winfield to keep them honest. Vick was running for his life and our O-line played crappy as well. Either this win does us some good by igniting the fire back in us or we get the same old picture from years past. If that was Tomlin, Belichick, or lovie Smith, they would of ran the ball.
Paul
You’re a fake!
Vinnie
“So if we understand that Reid is not going to change..he is who he is…, then why is it hard to admit that Vick is also not going to change after 10 yrs in pro football. The problems he;s having with the blitz are problems he’s had his entire career. They;re not going to change.”
Since Reid won’t change, no one will change. That makes no sense whatsoever.
Everyone on the planet, except you, has already admitted that Vick is not the same QB.
Here’s a thought. If Reid won’t change, then change Reid. Bring in Cowher.
To be honest, Reid is hiding behind and riding the wave of good players. His gameday coaching is once again terrible. I believe we are starting to see the beginning of another 2-6yr wastage of good players and heartbreaking “almost” and “what ifs” concerning the playoffs and wins/losses etc. Reid may really have to go because just when you try to give him a ray of hope for just kind of sticking with the guys etc, he just isn’t a great coach that will make the right adjustments and is so stubborn that he sticks with this pass pass mentality when it isn’t working. I don’t know about you guys but I’m starting to see the same ol’ thing and not getting my hopes up to high. Rest our starters for the game against the Cowboys because you know they’re out to cause injuries, and lets see what our backups can do against them. Dam trying to beat them at the expense of losing our playmakers going into the playoffs. Put Kolb’s tail in there and let him be the bait.
and why’s that Drummer..
This is coaching incompetence. You can’t act like you’re surprised that the Vikings were blitzing. Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg should have to explain why they didn’t have options for Vick to get the ball out of his hands. The Vikings ran the same blitz time and time again.
Drummer – never thought or meant to imply that it’s Vick’s job to devise a game plan. The dink and dunk, i.e. short throws are hard for Vick because he is short hence, all the batted balls. Everyone expects the screens and reverses because Reid runs them, generally speaking more than any other team in the NFL.
The answer is a a balanced game plan early with runs from the RB, not the QB. The O line can run the ball very well when they’re commited.
Garry – As we all know, Reid’s offenses have struggled against the blitz for years because Reid won’t come anywhere near a balanced offense. Same old, same old and it is incompetence like you said
I don’t care what everyone else thinks. Not my fault people are sheep and get drawn in to the “new Vick” business. Its you that keeps with the double talk….Reid will never change/this is the New Vick.
Listen, Months ago I said Vick was going to enjoy early success because D-co-ords had no film on the guy. That his effectiveness would drop dramatically when they started getting a look.
This has now happened. Vick has gotten worse every game for the past few weeks. Covered up by 7 minutes of scrambling and bad tackling.
Exactly how bad does a guy have to play…how many times does he have to put the ball on the ground…how many times does he have to throw to the other team, how many times does he have to take a quick look and then start running around till you bwgin to realize he’s not a very effective QB.
@Maybethecan
Vick threw one ball that was batted down at the line of scrimmage last night…you are reaching!
Not a very effective QB? GCobb – please ban this man! he must not of been watching Vick at all this season…one game, does not decide the season! Offense played terrible last night, no doubt. Vick’s fumbles hurt the team big, no doubt…Vick taking care of the ball is manageable, had we won the game last night, Vinnie wouldnt’ even be talking right now…he’s not a true Eagles fan.
I don’t think you can throw away how well Vick has played this year because he’s struggled the last couple of games. If he did week after week early in the season, he needs to simply adjust to what teams are doing against him and his speedy receivers.
Vick isn’t the only one who has struggled. The entire offense has been off their game.
So Hall of Fame qb Steve Young has studied his game and talked about his maturation. He bends his knees when he trhows now and scans the field on each level.He’s the # q in the NFC. And he’s still not a very effective qb. Suspect statement.
Thats just silly… You dont get mentioned as a possible MVP of the league if you arent an effective QB…
that sounds like an agenda that has nothing to do with reality….
The problem isnt tough to fix if Reid and co. would just address it…
What kinda fan are you anyway Vinnie? Your and Eagle fan and your yacking with this sky is fallin theory after a tough loss?
And for the life of me i wish some of you dudes would stop bringing up in every argument “what i said months ago” b.s.. What you said months ago and it coming true doesnt make you anymore right or wrong.Your being the nerd in biology class that brags about getting A’s on everything….noone give a horses rear.Just you.
I do think Vick is trying to do too much because Andy and Marty have been awful the last couple of games. They’re relying on him to pull a rabbit out of his hat each week, so he’s trying to make a play when he’s under pressure and nobody is open.
They can’t build the offense on him scrambling and throwing bombs. They have to build the offense on the short passes and the running game.
Losing that game might be the best thing that happened because they now know that they need to change some things.
Fact of the matter is, the whole team needs to get blamed for the loss but none more than Vick. He should have had 6 turnovers last night — got saved by the ineptitude of the other team and a Desean Jackson penalty.
Andy deserves blame. The o-line deserves blame. McDermott deserves blame. The entire team deserves blame — but none more than Vick for last nights loss. He knows it.
Vick should have been pulled at halftime to prevent serious injury, he took a beating last night,
the Dink and Dunk offense is not Vick strength, and it’s not in AR’s DNA either,who is too impatient..
Coach AR is a down the field, big plays, an all or nothing type of offense and when it’s on it’s a thing of beauty, and when it’s not, it’s difficult to watch…
The Fumble before the 1st half was a killer and the turning point in the game I thought.
With a drive going and up 7-0 with a a little over a minute to go and te EAgles at about mid-field
a FG or a TD would have been a nice cushion to go in at the half and especially snce playing rather poorly to be able to walk off the field at Half up 10-0 or 14-0 instead of 7-7 is huge..
This play woke up the Vikings Offense who then became more aggressive with their play calling since they were now even and took the crowd out of the game.
Vick could not have prevented the sack by Winfield, but he must do a better job of protecting the ball, by simply going down or throwing the ball away, but ytou cannot as a QB lose the ball like that, you are the last line of defense and if you fumble, it’s a TD the other way and for this game-changing play, I put this loss on QB M Vick…
On sportscenter, there was a highlight where Brees sees a blitzer, and basically tells Bush to block the dude. No code, he used his hands and pointed to the defender. Bush picks up the blitz and the play is successful. Seems like Vick should be able to recognize what is coming, and make adjustments himself. Can’t see this as a Big Red issue, course I’m a baseball guy not football.
Beijingjake
Think about what you’ve posted. Regardless of where McCoy is lined up, regardless of his assignment, Vick should give him a signal to block the blitzer?
So, if McCoy is lined up on the right and the blitz is on the left, what’s he supposed to do?
Often times last night, McCoy actually did a great job in picking up a blitzer. When he was in position to do so, he did.
This team blitzed time and again. Everyone and their mother could see it coming, especially Vick. The blitzer was coming untouched from Vick’s left and there was no one there to block him.
It’s the coach’s job to account for the blocking.
Vick has made Reid look like a great coach, but in reality, he’s won in spite of Reid. Reid does some things extremely well, but his blind spots have killed this team for years.
At various times, we didn’t need receivers, linebackers, punt returners, fullbacks, TEs (how many times did we pass up on Tony Gonazlez, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress, etc., only to settle for mediocrity.
Yet, the QB was blamed.
Doesn’t this remind you of other years? We’ve upgraded at nearly every offensive position, yet the results remain virtually the same — We’re the most dynamic offense in the game, until we face the best or our QB gets injured, which is an inevitability when you pass as much as 93% of the time.
The only constant is Andy Reid.
Reid can’t keep calling deep passes, leaving his QB to take hit after hit and expect him to stay healthy and accurate. Vick’s been playing hurt for weeks and his mechanics have to have been affected.
No QB has come close to taking the abuse that Vick has, and it has little to do with his running.
In fact, his running has saved both this team and his life.
Drummer,
You made a typo. You wrote:
“Everyone and their mother could see it coming, especially Vick.”
I’m sure you meant to write:
“Everyone and their mother could see it coming, except Vick.”
Dude hasn’t seen a blitz coming since ’82.
“No QB has come close to taking the abuse that Vick has, and it has little to do with his running.
In fact, his running has saved both this team and his life.”
Really?
What was he doing when he broke his ribs again?
What was he doing when Nick Collins blasted him into the next hemisphere week 1?
What was he doing when the Cowboy DE (spencer?) slammed his shoulder in to the turf?
What was he doing when Spencer hit him OB?
Stay in the pocket. Throw the ball quicker, and if he then gets hit it’ll be 15.
Go to NFL playbook…watch the Giants/Eagles highlights.
Please do not listen to Baldinger who spends the entire time saying how great Vick is…instead just watch it. Stop the film at:
2:17 to see McCoy leaking to the right open. Vick scrambles away left almost as soon as he gets the ball, makes a terrible throw in to the defenders arms (lucky) and gets hit. Throw the checkdown and he won’t get hit.
2:38 and you’ll see what you are often talking about, all WRs streaking and Vick scrambles. That being said, Inside WR (avant) is WIDE open at the 15 and it appears that he’s looking back. Throw the ball and there will be no hit.
3:14…going to be a screen to McCoy and tuck stops it – for a second, then McCoy is free. There is no pressure and yet off Vick runs and makes a terrible throw. And gets pasted again. He stays for another 1/2 second and its shady’s ball and no hit.
3:33. Vick standing in a nice pocket and McCoy wide open again to his right. Throw the ball and there’s no hit. Instead, Vick scrambles (for a big gain) but gets hit.
So…on at least 3 of the 4 plays highlighted, Vick has a wide open checkdown and he runs and gets hit. On the 4th, I think he could have thrown it to Avant at the 15.
Keep blaming Reid.
BTW…he does make nice plays at 3:55 and 4:10
Drummer – u r right, it is not JUST the QB, and a flaw in Red’s game is adjustments during the game for whatever reason. I just would think that given that it is the same guy causing havoc, Vick would look for him and either adjust blocking, the play, or both. As G said, when a corner blitzes you try to take advantage of that hole. That is not the coach’s adjustment to make, rather the QB’s I think. At any rate, I agree that without Vick’s almost inhuman ability to avoid the rush, this team would be fighting to be .500… Hopefully this is something the team can learn from, and prepare a game plan for the playoffs, as there probably won’t be too many surprises on a defensive approach to the Birds.