What A Day Chip Is Having Ryan Day That Is
By Bret Stuter
Nov 23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez (3) talks to head coach Chip Kelly during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Prestidigitation Day
So we’re starting over. The offense is a lightning bolt on rails, but it fell off the tracks. Standard NFL quarterback coaches just do not seem to have the stuff to coach a quarterback up in Chip Kelly’s system. Why?
Kelly’s system is idiot proof to an extent. It keys on making a defender commit, and then moving the ball the other way. If you hesitate to commit, the offense goes about it’s business and gets right past you. It’s simple, hesitate and fail. Commit the wrong way and fail. The only way defenses win is if they commit the right way. That’s one out of three chances.
That explains why a juking runner like LeSean McCoy frustrated the Chippah. Quick hits to a hole force the defender to throw all caution to the wind, go with gut instinct, and stop processing what they see in front of them. As long as defenders are looking, processing, and keeping the play in front of them, they hold the advantage. Similarly, if a quarterback is hesitant to run that keeper play and tries to put the ball in a runners hands (as most quarterback coaches will stress constantly), the defense begins to favor the running back and can stuff players routinely.
In 2013, Eagles quarterbacks rushed 95 attempts. In 2014, with more offensive plays, that number dropped to 53. On an offense that runs nearly 1100 plays, 53 rushes from the quarterback will barely get a mention in a defensive planning meeting. Yes there were more passing plays, but if the quarterback scrambles for positive yards, that is a running play in the box score.
Much like a play-action pass freezing the linebackers once the running game is established, the inside zone read and the outside zone read rely upon the defense being forced to commit and then moving the ball elsewhere. If the play goes that way 99.995% of the time, there is no masking of the play. The team has discovered that he who holds the ball directs the offense, so they had better have a full understanding of what this offense is doing.
Next: The Day We Clone The Chippah