There was a great deal of discussion leading up to the draft by Birds’ watchers about the problems on the right side of the Eagles offensive line. The thought was that the Eagles would draft a right tackle or a right guard. The Birds addressed that problem by drafting Baylor offensive tackle Danny Watkins to play the Birds right guard position.
Although the Eagles had problems on the right side of their offensive line, the biggest problem the Eagles had, wasn’t on the right side of the line, it was in picking up the blitz. Before the first Giants game in which the New York sent all out blitzes at Michael Vick and the Eagles offense, nobody was able to even slow down the Birds’ O much less stop it.
For the rest of the season, the Eagles offense never came up with a solution for the blitzing. In the second Giants game, the blitz stopped the Eagles offense until the Giants made some fundamental mistakes and Vick outran them when they blitzed. The Birds won’t be able to continue relying on Vick’s speed to hide the fact that they can’t play against the blitz.
It’s the big question going into the next season. Not only do Vick and the Eagles offense need to improve their recognition of the blitz, they need to do a much better job of adjusting their blocking schemes to pick up the blitzers. if Vick continues to get hit, he’s going to get injured and the season will be over, if the follow through with trading Kevin Kolb before the season starts.
Not only must Vick and the offense do a better job versus the blitz but they’re going to have to do it with a new offensive line coach, veteran offensive line coach Howard Mudd, and under a new blocking system.
Mudd, who spent more than a decade in Indianapolis with Peyton Manning and the Colts, will be changing up some of the terminology and methodology of the way the Eagles pick up blitzes this season. The terminology is going to be simplified and more responsibility will be placed on the quarterback when it comes to deciding on the right scheme which is needed to pick up the blitzes.
In the past it was the center and the quarterback who shared the responsibility of recognizing the blitz and calling a blocking strategy to pick it up. The quarterbacks would have meeting with the centers in order to decide how certain blitzes would be picked up. I’m told that the Birds were hurt by the fact that they had an inexperienced center, Mike McGlynn, calling the shots last year.
McGlynn did a good job of learning the blocking system but he was still far behind Jamaal Jackson when it came to anticipating what defenses were going to do. Mudd comes from a system in Indianapolis which put more of the responsibility of picking up the blitz on the quarterback. That system put more responsibility on the quarterback but it also gave the man behind the center more flexibility to change the play.
I’m saying all of this because we’re a few weeks away from June but Michael Vick and the Eagles offensive line hasn’t had the opportunity to work on blitz pickups. This was the Achilles’ heal of the Eagles offense was blitz pick up but they haven’t been able to work on it at all this off season.
This can’t be a good thing. If the Eagles don’t solve this problem, the addition of Watkins won’t mean a thing. DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant and Brent Celek can be running wide open downfield but it won’t mean a thing if they can’t block the blitz.
Hmmm i agree with what your saying G. Not trying to bash the dude but Vick is going to have to do ALOT better picking up the blitz this year. Now thats not to say that our revolving door of an OLINE wasnt largly responsible for that last year. I mean hell, ried was even making ADJUSTMENTS(no really) and using max protect to try to help the situation and even that failed in more ways than one. Even with one to two extra bodys staying on the line to help pick up the blitz(IE celek / schimdt) Vick was still running for his life. The line as a whole HAS to step there game up across the board. Im not trying to knock the guys we have but bottom line, schidmt and celek in my opinion r very talented pass recievers. Keeping them on the line is further hurting the offense as whole by giving vick less targets. Now i do think Mudd will help but everyone knows you can shine crap. Again not trying to knock the guys we have i am actually a huge peters and herremans fan, but mudd can do it all by himself. I think the center posistion is kind of a ? this seaosn even with JJ coming back how effective will he be after his knee his tricep and frankly his age. Mglynn did and ok job but he is honestly no superstar. The other takle posistion kinda has me abit worried as well. I think justice has HUGELY improved his game but still could play alot better. The fact the the battle at that posistion is justice dunlap and howard is frightening and honestly i want to c what howard can do at this point. Im VERY optimistic about this OLINE and our offense as a whole and i do think as a unit we will have a chance to be great for a long time
3 Issues from last Season that should resolve itself this year (if there is Football)
#1) New Center in McGlynn who was thrown in the fire (Jackson Returns)
#2) A turnstile at RG between MJG & N Cole (Watkins will solidify position)
#3) Vick a 1st Year Starter with Eagles after not playing full-time in about 3 Seasons (He will work hard to improve on his blitz recognition)
One more thing, I am no Hall of Fame Coach or anything, but a great way to slow down the blitz is to run the ball a little more often
Also, every team in the NFL has the same problem as the Eagles,
Whatever the teams biggest deficiencies are , have not been able to be addressed by any team or coaching staffs, it is what it is for everyone ???
Mike Vick needs to learn how to pick up a blitz.
This is not a repeat from 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, or 2010.
Paul, I actually think you brought up a good point with McGlynn – even if Jamal Jackson doesn’t come back from injury successfully, (knock on wood) or whatever the reason, if McGlynn has to play center for the Eagles this year, he’s better off than last year because he’s more experiened there, has Mudd, and (at least as it looks now), he’ll be sandwiched in between two very good guards. I think the interior OL has a lot of potential to be way better this year. If Mudd can improve the RT position (with the guys we already have), while succesfully transitioning Watkins into that RG position, I bet we can have a damn good OL this year.
But yeah Mike needs to improve in that area. Duh. I think he can and probably will, the only thing working against his improvement in that area being his ego/complacency.
This past season Mike Vick just learned how to be a Qb……. With him in ATL he was the (Forest Gump) of the ATL Falcons……. “RUUUUN VICK RUUUUN”!………. Him running was like PEAS and CARROTS……. But he handled the Qb situation here in Philly pretty well and it will take him time to develop the instinct on where a blitz is coming….. Before the snap…… But after the snap he’s a MONSTER……. Ask Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh about that!!!!!!!
I think with Howard Mudd….. Andy Reid could learn a thing or two about coaching…… It seems that games when the opposing teams were blitzing at will……. Reid and the coaching staff were clueless on how to stop it……. Mudd isn’t taking any of that non-sense here in Philly and a guy on the O-line thinks their job is written in Stone….. They have another thing coming……
With the Eagles relying on guys like the A.Q. Shipley’s in the world today to rely on them to protect your “QB of the future”…… It just doesn’t make any sense at all…… We’ve been had offensive line issues for the past 2-3 years now…..
I agree Schil,
I am not sure if Jackson can ever return back to form from 2-3 years ago and I really would not be surprised if McGlynn beats him out for the Starter spot and Jackson is kept as the back-up
But if Mudd gets Herremans/McGlynn/Watkins coached up the way he has with others in his past.. This interior of the OL may end up being one of the better ones in the NFL which is a dramatic improvemnt of who the interior OL played last year..
I think Draft pick Kelce from CIncnnati will be the CEnter of the Future, He’s a perfect size for Mudd’s type of OL and tough as nails, he will definitely need 2 years of grooming, but Watch Kelce end up on Practice squad or on IR for the 2011 Season with an eye to make the big squad in 2012 and push McGlynn by 2013.. I think this will be Jamall Jackson’s final Season with the Eagles and most likely will be in a back-up role for 2011
@Paulman….. Good point…… Mcglynn was thrown in at the Center position….. I like how you emphasize that…….. Jamal is a veteran who handled the positon pretty well in front of D-Mac…… He’s a guy who points out where the blitz is coming if the Qb isn’t aware of it…….
What ever happen to Audibles??????? Do we even Audible????? Has their been games in which I watch everyone and almost every snap and I’ve haven’t seen the eagles DO A REAL F*#@*^g Audible!!!!!!!!
No plan B or C or D or E…… Just Plan A or no plans at all!!!!! Just wondering?????
jroc, forgive me for picking on you, but here’s a great example of what pisses me off about a lot of anti-Eagles and anti-Reid criticism – it’s BS. You sighted AQ Shipley, who to date has taken a whopping grand total of….drumroll please….0….count it…0…(don’t forget to carry the 0)…0! NFL snaps during the regular season.
Jroc, yeah, there have been OL troubles, but you’re not being fair when you act like Reid had Shipley starting at all 5 positions on the OL.
jroc, if the Eagles were to do an audible, how would you/we other fans know?
A ton of this whole sack issue has to do with coaching…… You know that your O-line is struggling with injuries as well as skill at the position and you throw the ball on all three downs????? Nick Cole with fluid in his knee and MjG who is ok but he’ll be a 3rd stringer for any other team in the NFl and Reggie Wells didnt even see the field at all……. And King Dunlap HA HA! Where do you want me to start with him!!!!!!! Mike Mcglynn did ok for him to be THROWN at center and Jason Peters Lacked Discipline “Grasshopper” being the false start Champion at the LT position…….. Herramans was banged up with foot issues all season but managed pretty well and with Justice who played pretty well during the season but was banged up late in the season…….. You have to do things to work around your weakness….. Sorta like what the bears did and Gb with their offensive line issues!!!!
@Shiller…….. Ok…… Mr. CSI detective Shiller……. AKA I told Bin Laden the Navy Seals were coming!!!!!!! Since you know it all and want to be a Ball breaker or Andy Reid’s Whipping Boy to defend a coach who everyone says his coaching calls are in question you my friend seem to be the only one in the twilight zone with andy reid as well….. He’s a good coach I give him that but top notch he’s a few slices from being a ham sandwich…… I’ve seen guys like Peyton Manning ,Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers and so on call plays to where it works in the teams advantage………
I’ve seen interviews Andy Reid saying that A.Q. Shipley is a guy who can do the job!!!!! No we haven’t seen him in games because Andy Reid’s Talent Search Theory is wrong or should I say Questionable…….. Even the commentators during the games say things like WHAT WAS ANDY THINKING OF……….
@Shiller…… Stop being Andy’s jock strap holder and quit defending him……. Like I said he’s good and deserves some credit……. He cant manage time and he told a guy to run around in the endzone so the time can run down on the clock????? Your a coaching VET and you tell a rookie to run the clock out in the endzone????? I have every right to talk or “Anti-Andy Reid criticism,” his way of coaching because it’s elementary at times…….. LB Keith Brookings says on the Radio….. “We knew what they were doing on every play”!,,,,,,,,, Does that tell you something SHILLER????? Or I shouldn’t comment on that????? Or I’m stevie wonder or Helen Keller
I have to agree with jroc on that one schill sry. For years i have defended andy. Only to c the SAME horrible clock management and even worse play calling. I think ried IS one of the better coaches in the leauge but his faults FAR outwiegh the best points of his coaching game. The proof of this is our VERY CLEAN and SHINY TROPHEY case at the linc that also just so happens to be EMPTY. I truly do beleive that it will REMAIN empty too as long as Ried is our coach. A roster FULL of probowlers/HOFers will still fail if they r out of timeouts with 2 minutes left in the first quarter and pass the ball at LEAST 75% of the time this a fact.
jroc – I don’t think Reid is perfect, and I’m not even particularly a fan of him. But I am anti-BS negadelphia. That’s all.
Most of what you just said about Reid is true in terms of criticism, I’m on board with the time management stuff and I personally am down on him for how he handeled Donovan/QB coaching through his time here. But when people go overboard and start basing their cricism off of misinformation (IMO), it bothers me. That’s all. Of course you’re allowed to say whatever the hell you want.
eaglez4 – you’re entitled to your opinion. But I don’t think that time managment has even been an inssue in most of the season ending losses the Eagles have had in his tenure. Take last year, Vick threw an INT. That’s how it ended. There was time. And I just don’t buy the argument that the team cannot win one with Reid. It just doesn’t hold up to anything except speculartion/hunches/’senses’, and it defies logic.
I can c your point there schill cause there is no PROOF that we cant win one with him. And i wasnt trying to bash your opinoin bud was just saying. Its just hard to keep the faith after 11 years of the same old ya know. It def wasnt ALL reid these past few years that has been the problem. I can honeslty say that OVERALL talent level and coaching(NOT JUST RIED other posistions as well) have been the majority of the issues.
Eg4 – O I know it’s hard to keep the faith. That’s what sports is all about. My dad brought me up with that mentality – (a lot of) sports is pain! And you sir, have been reasonable about this. Its others who say ‘he hasn’t, and had a lot of chances, so he won’t.’ That’s dumb because ….man on the moon, men in flight, black presidents, female govenors…etc..etc..etc…
Eagz- and if the Pat’s hadn’t cheated in SB 04′, maybe Reid has a championship and all else is forgiven/attributed to luck/the way the ball bounced/the incredible challange…what acutally happens in life is SO circumstantial and football is the LEAST predictable of all 4 sports. Period. (mostly due to the small sample size of games v. other sports).
there will be a curve…. but the Eagles will get as much practice as every other team in the league, so they wont be behind the ball more than any one else. They need to utilize their time properly and Vick should be looking at tape right now…
Being an Eagle fan is kinda of like being Married/having a Girlfriend,
You whine,cuss and scream in agony abotu being disappointed, you get teased,let on alot and even flirted with once in a while but in the end, it’s better than being a Buffalo BIll and Cleveland Browns fan..
The Coaching Staff (AR) needs to recognize the problem on Game Day and adjust…. Something he hasn’t been able to do in the past. When other teams see the blitz as a major part of the Defensive game plan they adjust with more runs and screen passes…. Not our boy Andy… He just sticks with his game plan… Doesn’t matter if it’s working or not….