Old school Eagles game scripts, plans for attacking the Commanders

What follows is a model game script that the Philadelphia Eagles could use during their Monday Night Football contest versus the Washington Commanders, one based on matchups and tendencies. Game scripts are often misunderstood as merely a series of plays, the first 15 plays to be called on offense or defense for instance. Those play calls are designed for normal down and distance, say first and ten as opposed to the first 15 plays regardless of down and distance.

While any play caller’s script normally takes shape as a result of scouting reports and concepts that are specifically designed to exploit specific matchups in the offense and defense. Here’s an idea for getting the Eagles off to a great start with their first play call.

This one is taken from FootballXOs.com, more specifically from a comprehensive study that they compiled while recreating Andy Reid’s 2002 playbook which is available for a free download online.

Philadelphia Eagles Offense – Deuce Rt. Waggle 15  989 Alert versus 42 Nickel

Montez Sweat is great at defending the run, and the Philadelphia Eagles would be wise to throw bodies at him early to help them more easily read how to attack him for the remainder of the game.  Daron Payne is an exceptional pass rusher, but he’s far less steady as a run defender. Duo blocks should wash him out of his gap responsibly and relatively easily.

Click here for an in-depth explanation of duo blocking and how it works.

In this formation, the Eagles use duo blocking i.e. double-teaming both defensive tackles (Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne in this scenario). Dallas Goedert would align to Montez Sweat’s side in this series and often blocks him, e.g., 25 Power.

Here are a few more ideas for attacking the Commanders’ defense.

Here’s the theory. Sweat is left unblocked. He becomes Jalen Hurts’ read, and that determines whether he gives the ball to Miles Sanders (who would be running away from Sweat) or if he keeps the ball and runs to the area vacated by Sweat.

As a triple option play, Hurts also has the option to throw the ball to A.J. Brown (9), DeVonta Smith (9), or toss one to Dallas Goedert (8). Brown and Smith have the option of converting those routes into fade routes if it’s determined the Commanders are in man coverage.

Brown and Smith are running go routes and stretching the field deep. Goedert is running a post route from an inline position and he is the read against split safety shells.

The read on this play, if Jalen Hurts decides to pass the ball, is Kamren Curl who, more than likely will be playing the box safety role, but that would be determined by whether the Commanders are playing coverage that leaves the middle of the field open (MOFO) or in another scheme where the middle of the field is closed (MOFC).

Darrick Forrest is a top-rated free safety for his coverage skills. If the Commanders’ defensive shell is middle of the field open (MOFO), neither Forrest nor Curl should have inside leverage on Goedert’s post route. This route is the read against MOFO coverage.

Jamin Davis, a Commanders linebacker, is an amazing athlete, but he struggles in coverage versus wide receivers who are more physical. While Dallas Goedert and Miles Sanders will align as the #1 receiver to give Jalen Hurts easy man coverage tells, Goedert will often be aligned in-line to maximize the mismatch the Eagles would have by forcing Davis to play in coverage.

Kamren Curl, the Commanders’ strong safety, is essentially a linebacker. Washington often aligns him with the middle of the field closed; however, if he’s in the shallow middle of the defense as a robber while Forrest, the Commanders’ free safety, is in the deep middle third of the defense, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have single coverage and can run go routes.

Kendall Fuller, the Commanders’ field cornerback has lost a step. He’ll make the transition to safety next season more than likely. He struggles in man coverage, so DeVonta Smith’s route running should prove to provide an advantage for the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense.

Benjamin St. Juste a.k.a. BSJ is the Commanders’ boundary corner (and their best player at the position). A.J. Brown can beat him one on one, so if BSJ lines up on Brown’s side of the formation, it should be an easy read and toss for Jalen Hurts, especially if Kam Curl is in the box pre-snap or he rotates into the box after the snap.

In short, there are numerous ways the Eagles’ offense can attack the Commanders’ defense. Utilizing any of these strategies (or all of them) can be exactly what the doctor ordered.