The Eagles defense will be undergoing another test on Sunday which is very similar to a test they had a few weeks ago in Arizona.
In the Cardinals game their test involved Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The first part of the test was how exactly to cover him. Do you focus on him and keep him double teamed from the time he comes out of the locker room, to the time he’s getting on the team’s charter on the way back to Detroit?
Or do you treat him just like any other receiver but try to keep track of where he’s lining up? The Eagles defensive coached vacillated back and forth about whether or not to have Nmandi Asomugha follow Fitzgerald everywhere he went and double team him with a safety deep.
They decided not to go that way but to just play their normal coverages, treat Fitzgerald like any other receiver, except make sure everyone knew where he was lining up. It proved to be a costly mistake as the Eagles secondary lost track of Ftizgerald, as he destroyed the Birds in the first half, catching seven passes for over 100 yards, while the Cards were building a big lead of 24-3 at the half.
Will they make the same mistake this week against the Lions All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who has a very distinguished nickname. “When they give you the nickname ‘Megatron,’”Andy Reid said, “that means you’re pretty good.”
“He can run. He can jump,”, Eagles defensive coordinator said. “Stafford will throw it to him even if he is double-teamed.”
“Normally, people are looking to cover him up with a couple of people,” Reid said. “He’s earned that respect. That’s what teams have done. That doesn’t mean that’s what you have to do. That’s what teams are trying to do, and that’s been going on, not just this year, but for a while.
Regardless of how the Birds decide to cover Johnson, they must make sure every player in coverage knows where he’s lining up. He’s is definitely a favorite target of quarterback Matthew Stafford.
“They try different ways to get him open and get him the football”, Reid said. “They move him all over. They do. They move him in the middle of trips, inside of trips, inside on the double-wing side. They try and expose as much as possible.”
Rookie nickel back Brandon Boykin could get the chance to cover Johnson, since he lines up all over the place. Boykin is a personal friend of Johnson, so he has a good idea of what Johnson brings to the table.
“You use your technique and try to be fundamentally sound,” said Boykin, who joked that he’s actually 5-foot-10, not 5-foot-9 as listed in the media guide. “Those are things you can’t change, your genetic makeup. The corners that will guard him, they’ll have to do what they have to do to guard him. It can be done, but it won’t be easy.”
I don’t like the idea of having the 6′ 5″ Johnson matched up against the 5’9” Boykin. There’s no way the rookie has any chance of covering the Pro Bowl wide receiver.
My advice to Eagles is to double-team Johnson on every play with either Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie or Nmandi Asomugha. I want them to mix it with the coverages, but they must always double-team Johnson. It’s very important that they focus on him even more in the red zone. He can’t be handled by one defender.
Boykin should play out on the Oustise (like Champ Bailey and Grimes for the Facons does when healthy and let him utilize his spped and ball hawking abilitiy
The let “Llambi Asmo” should be the SLot CB in my opinion.. Asmo simpley does not have the deep spped to protect against Deep routes and always will require Safety Help.. Maybe because “Llambdi” has 4 Legs that he’s as slow as he is, but what a Bust he’s turned out to be and possibly the worst Signing of the most overhyped Player in recent NFL Free-Agency history….
Lions opponents have been very succesful this year against CJ by doubleteaming him. Foolish to do otherwise. DRC and safety keep him in check.
Wow – I feel all Schiller like – but can;t help myself –
first off – the score was 24-0 at half not 24-3
and the Cardinals O had VERY little to do with that – thank 2 eagle fumbles that led to Cardinal TDs (the punt and the one returned for a TD) and now that ‘racing’ becomes 10-0 – now take into account the fact vick also fumbled on the 1 and the 36 and say he doesn;t do that – maybe the score is 6-3 us?
And let us remember the eagles held the Cardinals to 224 yards passing on the GAME…
so I guess my point is do not try and modify or embellish info from one game to prove a point for another.. I think anyone with a clue understands if you do NOT turn the ball over and give the other teams short fields (or scores) and do NOT turn the ball over to prevent your team from scoring – it probably would not have made a rats ass differecne who covered who with what – and the same is probably true this weekend – just as it was last weekend..
Prediction – you will see Hughes or Marsh on the outside and Asmo follow Johnson into the slot – Boykin may get a bit of a breather this week.
Get past the Lions – head into the bye 4-2 in first in NFC East….. will have beaten three playoff teams from last year… Go Birds!
A lot more Weapons on the Lions outside of Calvin Johnsoni
WR Nate Burleson is a wily Veteran, good route runner with sneaky speed and will plrobably look like an All-Star going up against Asmo
Slot WR and very dangerous in the open Field is Titus Young and like D-jax has like 4.3 – 4.4 Speed and then RB Joquie Bell out of the Backfield is very good on Screens/Late release Pass Routes and then you have Stud TE Brandon Pettigrew and reliable Tony Scheffler…
Another little known Play is 2 Years ago Top Pick RB Mike Leshoure who finally put the Pot Pipe down and is concentrating on playing Football and 2 Seasons of Injuries, Suspensions and Drug Arrests, but when in shape and focused is a big,bruising back and who is the kind that always giev the Eagle Fits, he’s 6-0 227lbs and reminds a lot of people like a young Marion Barber/Steven Jackson Type who is big, strong, between the Tackles and a 1 Cut Runner with a little more speed than Defenders expect..