Eagles Analysis: Finding The Good In The Bad
By Pat Roach
I’m an inherently positive person. If you’ve read my work before you might’ve noticed that I tend to look at the brighter side of things. I’m not one to linger on sore subjects, instead pushing forward to search for solutions while maintaining a positive outlook. With that in mind, it goes without saying that this has been a difficult week; the Eagles suffered an embarrassing loss in week 2, and many have adopted a “sky is falling” mentality with the team; Chip Kelly is a fraud, the offense is irreparably damaged, and the Eagles are doomed now and for the foreseeable future. It’s impossible to ignore what has transpired these first two weeks of the 2015 NFL season, however, considering that it has been just two weeks, apocalyptic proclamations are not only premature, but exhausting. I was as agitated as anyone following the Eagles second consecutive loss, but can’t comprehend the allure of wallowing in self deprecation like most others. Instead, I’ll be digging for positives in the wake of the cataclysmic start to the Eagles 2015 campaign.
When discussing the greatest weaknesses of this year’s Philadelphia Eagles, there’s absolutely no doubt that the culprit has been offensive line play.
There’s no getting around the fact that the Eagles line has been a roaring failure through the first 2 weeks of the season. The idea that Allen Barbre and Andrew Gardner were below average NFL guards was a pretty widely accepted consensus among the Eagles community, however, no one could’ve foreseen just how much of a detriment the pair would be. Even more so than their effectiveness –or lack there of– in terms of talent, it appears to be their simple presence, regardless of ability, that has caused so much disarray on the Eagles front.
While no one will contend that Barbre or Gardner have played well at all, I still find it hard to believe that they are as bad as the last two games would lead you to believe. Stable offensive line play hinges largely on the cohesiveness and uniformity of its starters. Many were of the mindset that preseason action, along with the presence of 3 Pro Bowl caliber starters would prop up the Eagles interior line and coax passable play from the unimpressive duo. After 2 games, however, that is obviously not the case, as Barbre and Gardner have been an absolute detriment to the Eagles offensive effort, and appear to have compromised the uniformity and cohesiveness that is so vital to the subsistence of a successful unit.
Throughout the course of the week, the criticisms of the line have mounted, evolving from the sole vilification of Barbre and Gardner to include the more decorated linemen. Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson have been swept up in the fury of the angry mob, absorbing their fair share of criticism for the Eagles horrendous start up-front. After reflecting on the Eagles latest debacle, and attempting to pinpoint the true culprit, it’s clear that it’s a group effort, however, I am still of the firm belief that the poor guard-play is the catalyst for crippling an otherwise strong unit. There are times where Jason Peters clips and passes off a defensive lineman to Allen Barbre and the latter has already pulled to the second level. Other times Kelce pulls to block his man and Gardner looks to the outside and finds no one to block, allowing a free rusher to penetrate the backfield. To be clear, the three Eagles stalwarts aren’t completely absolved of blame, as nothing is ever 100% someones fault.
Now, the bright side is that the disarray up front is more so a product of miscommunication and lapses in assignment than pure physical ineptness. Don’t get me wrong, Barbre and Gardner aren’t physically impressive specimens, but they aren’t quite as deficient as the results of the first couple of games have conveyed. There are far too many unblocked players up front, and that issue absolutely must be rectified before the Eagles can establish any sort of consistency on the line. That being said, this is fixable. Jeff Stoutland and the rest of the offensive staff will have to get together in a concerted joint effort to reestablish fundamentals, however, this isn’t as bad as Barbre and Gardner totally physically incapable of performing; they aren’t the ideal pair, but simply getting to the correct spot and following assignments will make a world of difference. Defenders consistently coming untouched into the Eagles backfield isn’t a result of Gardner and Barbre being helplessly overpowered, but of their inability to put themselves in a position to succeed.
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Moving away from offensive line play for a moment, it’s high time that the Eagles intrepid pair of safeties are given their due. Malcolm Jenkins and Walter Thurmond have been absolutely excellent thus far, and have provided a bright spot in an otherwise dim two-week performance by the Eagles secondary. Byron Maxwell has been abused at times, and Nolan Carroll has been up and down, however, Jenkins and Thurmond have proven to be the dynamic, versatile duo that the staff had hoped they’d be. Both safeties have the ability to walk up to the line and man-up against slot receivers –as they’ve been proficient in that area to this point– allowing Billy Davis and Cory Undlin to creatively deploy their defensive backs. Oddly enough, the Eagles best two corners have been the safeties through the first two weeks, manning the slot admirably.
Beyond being a consistent presence in coverage, the safeties have delivered “splash plays” through the early-goings, intercepting and deflecting passes (Thurmond has 1 INT, while Jenkins should have at least 1 or 2), and even showing up in the run game. Jenkins was considered a detriment as a tackler following his tenure in New Orleans, however, this season he has made his mark, showing a willingness to be physical at the point of attack, while demonstrating solid technique. Jenkins tackle for a loss in the Atlanta game –at the time– was a potential game changing moment. Thurmond, on the other hand, registered a QB hit in that same game, blitzing from the slot and getting his hands on Matt Ryan. The team will need better cornerback play down the stretch if the secondary is to take a step forward, however, the play of Jenkins and Thurmond is incredibly reassuring.
Because it seems as though every positive takeaway has been buried in the unbridled disgust towards the team as a whole, lost is the fact that the defensive line has been as disruptive as ever –perhaps even more so than a year ago; Fletcher Cox continues to showcase his elite physical skill set, pushing the pocket and regularly ruining plays before they have time to develop, while Bennie Logan has come out of his shell, and continues to be a presence in opponents backfield while remaining fundamentally sound and occupying space in the middle of the defense. Cedric Thornton remains steadfast in his ability to plug the run, and even notched a rare sack on Tony Romo this past Sunday. Perhaps the most encouraging, however, is the play of Taylor Hart, who, after a redshirt rookie season has come on to play extremely well, particularly in regard to his ability to play the run. Although Thornton will likely be shelved due to a break in his hand, Hart should be able to fill in admirably and the defensive line shouldn’t miss a beat.
As many have posited throughout the week, Jordan Hicks had a break-out performance of sorts in lieu of Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso’s absences. Hicks did an excellent job of showcasing his high level movement skills, moving laterally across the Eagles front and utilizing his range to record 7 tackles in limited time. The highlight of the day was, of course, Hicks’ pressuring of Romo that led to a fumble. Hicks didn’t make an astounding play, however, he forced an error with his timely pressure off the blitz. I still have my reservations about Hicks’ ability to match-up on the interior against an NFL front, however, he looked special when moving laterally and navigating the trash. If Kendricks or Alonso are to miss extensive time, Hicks could be a blessing.
Lastly, I’d like to circle back to the offensive line issues. As previously mentioned, the lapses on the interior of the Eagles line have led to catastrophe through the first two weeks. The good news is, the lack of communication/assignment sound football on the line is the root of the Eagles’ offensive woes; so, if the offensive line is settled, than the offense should begin to click. Talk of Chip Kelly’s offense being “figured out” is laughably embellished. There’s no doubt that defenses are keying in on what Kelly is doing, however, that has been the case for well over a year now. The true issue is that the offense simply can’t out-execute anyone right now, and the lack of execution is creating a systemic dilemma within the entire Eagles team; because the offensive line is blowing assignments and allowing constant penetration in the run game, the Eagles can’t establish the run.
The lack of a run game has made the Eagles largely one dimensional, and that one dimension isn’t very good without the crutch of the running game. This isn’t to say that getting the running game going will be a magical cure-all that elevates the team to contention, however, it’ll go a long way in bringing stability to the team. Effectively running the ball should open up the playbook, and put the Eagles in more favorable down and distances; more favorable down and distance should help to mitigate the amount of 3-and-outs and allow the offense to covert at a better clip. If the offense is able to extend drives and keep the defense off the field (Billy Davis’ unit played 85 snaps on Sunday), they’ll be rested, and more well suited to hold their ground late in games. It all starts up front, as they say, and while there are infinitely more variables to account for in this chaotic conundrum, fixing the line will go a long way in improving the Eagles’ fortunes.
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