What’s more important to a current defense in the National Football League, stopping the run or stopping the tight end?
Last season, then Eagles middle linebacker Jamar Chaney was getting rave reviews for his play at MIKE late in the season. He was running all over the place making tackles and causing fumbles, but the Birds had another problem on the defensive side of the ball which they wanted Chaney to solve.
The Eagles haven’t been able to successfully cover tight ends since Carlos Emmons was released. Emmons was the best strongside linebacker which the Eagles have had since Andy Reid was signed in 1999. Tight ends have killed the Birds throughout Reid’s tenure here and I know he’s tired of it. Tight ends have made the Eagles pay game in and game out by getting deep down the seams of the zones or sneaking across the field on run fakes, or making big catches in the red zone.
There’s no question that tight ends throughout the league check the schedule to see when they’re playing the Eagles. They know they’ve got the chance to put together a 100-yard game against the Birds.
Reid and his defensive coordinator Juan Castillo know that Chaney is their best middle linebacker, but they’ve moved him to (SAM) strongside linebacker because they think stopping the tight end is more important than stopping the run. This is the way the Eagles think all the way around. The place more important on the passing game than the running game because the NFL is a passing league.
You can hear the level of importance which they’ve placed on the passing game when you look closely at what defensive coordinator, 
Juan Castillo had to say about Chaney playing SAM.
“Jamar is playing a position that’s special. That SAM linebacker, I don’t know if you noticed that, that’s a special position for us. It’s almost a hybrid,” Castillo said. “He’s got to be able to run, but yet, he’s got to be able to come in there and take on that ‘C’ gap … He’s a pretty good player, playing a position that’s very important for us.”
I understand their thinking that you can win in the NFL by simply running the ball. The Birds feel that their offense can take your running game away but putting points on the scoreboard. We’ve known for years that the Eagles are much more willing to be vulnerable to the run but they’re not willing to be vulnerable to the pass.
Notice the tremendous commitment to strengthening the team’s pass defense. They strengthened the pass defense tremendously by signing the big named Pro Bowl free agents, but they also wanted to improve the pass defense at the linebacker position by moving Chaney to SAM, but if rookie Casey Matthews can’t cut it in the middle, it may force them to move Chaney back to the middle.
Keep an eye on the linebackers tonight because it will have a lot to do with whether they move Chaney back to the middle or keep him outside at SAM.
I like Chaney at the Mike Position.. I would like to see Rolle and Clayton play with the #1s at the SAM spot..
I also would like the 3 CB set and have DCR lock in with opposing teams TE’s who are the Athletic Type.. DCR at 6’2″ and great leaping ability and playmaking skills could be a great cover guy to stick with TE’s.. (he would need help in tackling them, but should defense better that any Eagle LB would)
Mike
Doesnt matter. Reid is still the problem.
Just to point out one other tidbit – the eagles have not won more then 2 pre-season games since 1995 – and 2004 the TO year – they went 1-3
Chaney should have never been moved, unless it was an upgrade. He was the only bright spot we had on the LB corp, last year. That’s Andy with has failed attempts at forcing a square peg in a round hole again, time after time, after time. I’m really sick & tired of his holier than thou attitude, his smug way of thinking he knows it all, & his ignorance towards positions every year, that always comes back to bite him in the bung hole. IMO, he needs to go ASAP! Just saying.
Thought the plan was to lock eithier DRC or Nnamdi with teams with very strong TE? Watching the 1st 2 preseason games the te still kills us. I would hope when we play a team like Dallas Nnamdi eliminates the right side, Samuel is gambling on the left and DRC moves over Whitten. DRC can gamble all day long b/c Whitten isnt runnning away from him. He may box his skinny ass out on 5-8 yard gains but hopefully he can make a play.
The eagles LB are all # 5 starters. Chaney just so happens to be the best of that group.
sheesh DD – guess that FO honeymoon after one of the most exciting offseasons in history is over – – – and not one meaningful game played
Dag – I think that is the plan on passing downs (define that how you like) –
Think of the guy that never changes his oil but mostly concentrates on washing his car, putting air in his tires and changing his wiper fluids. Well this guy is Andy Reid. As we all know the most important thing in maintaining a car is changing that oil every 3000 miles Andy Reid will never change the one thing that makes him mediocre and thats adjusting to the run. WE WILL NEVER I REPEAT NEVER win a superbowl if we dont adjust to teams running the football and for us to run the football
I agree with DD why move a guy that showed so much promise.. speed and physicality and a dominent personality .. he should be playing the middle.. how much are we going to be in nickel since rolle and chaney are the nickel linebackers and they want all three corners on the field.. only problem with that is first three weeks we face stephen jackson brandon jacobs and michael turner.. i have no problem with chaney and rolle.. from what ive seen .. but i do not like mathews in the middle.. cant he play outside ?
“Andy Knows Best” season 13, starring AR,MM,HR,JB and JL
Dag – you’re over simplifying it – your example allows for only 2 WRs. You watch NFL football since the clinton administration? Teams use 3/4/5 wides very often. So the idea of DRC or Nnamdi (whoever’s in side if there’s 3 stud CBs on the field) only covering the TE is oversimplifying it. I think TEs (when running pass routes) will most likely be the respoisibility of a LB (could be any of the 3 or 2 on the field) safeties (depending on the play) or a CB. It’s not so cut and dry that a 3rd CB will just take care of TEs…
larwd – it’s game 3 of the preseason – you know who the nickle Lbs will be? I don’t think Juan Andy or Caldwell know that yet. I heard it could be Mathews and Cheney, maybe others too, but I think it’s presumptive to assume we know what the LB situation will be for week 1. The coaches have a few weeks and two more preseason games to evaluate/make decisions in a very compressed offseason. WHICH IS ALSO WHY THE FOOLS ON HERE CRYING DISASTER/HATING ON COACHES NOW ARE FOOLISHLY PRESUMPTIVE.
tonight may show more upon which to prognosticate, but this current eagles team appears disjointed, even if talented at certain positions, and wholly deficient at others, at linebacker, all three and at safety, not to mention a watershed year for Vick and the Eagles on anchoring the franchise to a quarterback whose play of late seems to indicate a reversion to the Atlanta days.
Castillo is a good candidate to coach jv cheerleading
I don’t even understand why some of you guys are Eagle fans…..
gotta luv it – cause they love to hate – some others like you and me love to watch football and team success…others love to hate.
I love them Eagles, I would just like them to be able to execute their Offense more efficiently (even if it’s Preseason or a Vanilla game plan)
Is this so hard to do, It’s like they are playing at 3/4 spped and the others are playing at full speed. Success begets success, so why no t try toplay well and win every game.. This is how the Steelers, Patriots have always played regardless whether it’s preseason or not and may be a reason that they have some Championship Banners hagning at their headquarters… Now you get late into the games with 3rd Stringers, yeah, who cares about that..
You can’t go on cruise control for 4-6 weeks and then decide, Ok fellas it’s the regular Season, let’s turn it up a notch and go all out.. This sense of urgency should be for every game (at least the 1st and 2nd teamers in my opinion) and I also don’t mean you have to game plan for Pre-seaon either,
Go ahead and have only 15 basic,vanilla plays, but damnit, execute them at the highest level possible ..You still always play, to win the game..
Paul, you’d also like your cake, and to eat it too, and someone else’s cake, and to eat THAT too. And so on. The Pats have superbowls because they cheated. All their high scoring games and 16-0 season since them have put them so far that they’re even with the Eagles. So grow up – you can’t win every game all the time, especially when winning doesn’t matter.
It not the lack of Winning Schiller that gets me fired up, it’s the lack of Execution and the lack of Urgency and Energy from the Coaches and many 1st String players… It’s the same failures year after year at the same positions, short-yardage/red-zone, clock management, etc,etc
How many years have the Eagles lacked in Red-Zone/Short Yardage Offense..Take away M Vicks or McNabb’s QB Sneaks/Draws or broken down plays where they scrambled for positive yards after a breakdown..
How many Seasons do the Eagles go with a mediocre LB Corps, before that it was a medicore WR Corp years, which has now been updgraded with talent.. I think Coach AR is a little too lax with his Starters and while yes,he is popular with his players for being so, at the end of the day, Has everyone poured everything they got to win a Championship,maybe this year will be different with the new Coaches and high Profile PLayers brought on, but as I have stated many times for years now, It starts at the TOp, the Mindset and attitude of EAgles Football has to start with Coach AR.. and being that even-keel guy is great but sometimes you have to le it rip and it that means getting on a fellow coach or a player, then you do it.. Demand and expect more from Coaches,Player and yourself and don’t make excuses… This is a common theme for all Winners and Champions
Paulaman you stupid stupid stupid stupid man. “take away the things that worked in short yardage, they really stunk in short yardage”.
That could not be dumber. It’s like saying, “if you take away Bill Gates’s money, he’s broke”. NO SHIT YOU MORON.
They had 0 problems in the redzone and short yardage last year. That is old complaints that are total bs/carryover for the haters and negadelphs. They were heading to the superbowl last year if not for the poor defense (they certainly tried to fix that this year and we’ll see how that goes) and a Vick interception. That’s it. All the other stuff is just you being an armchair bitcher. Period. I’d like every girl on earth to be hotter and hornier for me, for my wallet and pocket to be fuller of money, and whole lot of other stuff. But I’m not sitting her bitching about it like you are about the problems the Eagles had years ago.
lmao @ schiller — relax bruh.
thanks birdo – I”m relaxed after that….ha guess its what the doctor ordered…
I wish for once the Eagles would just draft a beast at linebacker early in the draft. Now, that the CBA have been done which lower salaries for 1st rounders there sould be no excuse to actually get a serious linebacker in the future.
Even if they don’t value the position, they’ll take pressure off of the other other positions of need if a serious linebacker is in the middle of the defense.
We have never replaced Trotter, or Dawk in this defense and that’s why offenses don’t fear our defense anymore.
You must have nasty on the linebacker corp and in the middle of your defense or teams will expose you.
By the way..Juan Castillo where many Sanbredos (HATS) for the Eagles..
offensive line coach, defensive coordinator, and the newly revealed position Eagles Brass get at a premium
Cheerleader
This guy is invaluable