Allowing critical analysis to fall out naturally after the first preseason game, it is the Eagles’ defensive line play that shines the brightest…
On this glorious weather-condition Saturday back at Lehigh, it all becomes clear… the Eagles improved DL impact is the innovative development of the new season. David Weinberg, staff writer for the Atlantic City Press, has graciously allowed us to tag along upon his press pass and take a closer look at how the Eagles’ DL has progressed under coach Jim Washburn’s tutelage:
“Andy Reid always stresses the importance of using defensive-line depth to ‘throw fastballs’ at opposing offenses…”
Reid and new defensive coordinator Juan Castillo shuffled eight players in and out of the lineup during the first half of that preseason game against the Ravens… They all spent time in the Ravens’ backfield, helping the Eagles get six sacks in a 13-6 victory at Lincoln Financial Field.
“‘To be a good defense in this league, you have to be able to create pressure with your front four,” Reid said after the game. “Juan and (defensive line coach) Jim Washburn have a group of guys they feel confidence (in), and did a good job of rotating those guys in and out.
“When you’re able to do that, it really creates problems for an offensive line. Just when they think they’re wearing one guy down, a fresh one comes in.”
At least for now, the Washburn system that was so successful in Nashville has translated very nicely to the Philly DL…
The Eagles’ defense opened the game with ends Trent Cole and Juqua Parker flanking tackles Cullen Jenkins and Anthony Hargrove. When they headed to the sideline, ends Darryl Tapp and Jason Babin joined tackles Antonio Dixon and Derek Landri.
They maintained that rotation throughout the first quarter and into the second. Each group played four plays and then hustled off en masse while their replacements took over. Later in the game, defensive tackles Charlie Noonan and Cedric Thornton and ends Philip Hunt and Daniel Te’o-Nesheim played.
Tapp led the Eagles with two sacks and one tackle for a loss. Cole, Hunt, Landri and Te’o-Nesheim earned one sack apiece.
“That kind of setup really lets you let loose and go out and make plays,” said Landri, who signed as a free agent last week after four NFL seasons with Jacksonville (2007-09) and Carolina (2009-10). “You just play as hard as you can for as long as you can (and) then take a break and go back out and do it again. It’s great.”
Getting to the quarterback was a problem for the Eagles’ line last season, especially down the stretch. Cole led the team with 10 sacks but had just one in the last five games he played. Parker was next with six sacks, but four came in the first three games.
“I think coach Washburn’s system fits us all very well,” Tapp said. “You know as a defensive lineman that they are only asking you to go as hard as you can for four or five plays. If you can’t go all out for four plays, then you probably shouldn’t be playing.”
The defensive line guys are definitely buying into the new Jim Washburn system…that’s a good thing. The DL’s combined attack efficiency means a lot to the overhauled defensive philosophy of the rest of the Eagles’ defense.
Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha also feels it after less than two weeks with his new team.
“Yeah, I definitely have a sense,” he said. “I’ve had three practices and a preseason game, and obviously we’re talented — it’s laid out all over the place. Everyone sees it and the coaching is great here as well. So, we could be really special. I think we have a great opportunity to do some big things this year.”
“But with those expectations, you have to put in a little more focus, so it may not be as easy as other people are expecting it to be. We still have a lot of work to do.”
Starting rookie middle linebacker Casey Matthews, who obviously has a ton yet to prove, was out of the game before breaking a sweat. Ditto for the other inexperienced starting linebackers, Jamar Chaney and Moise Fokou.
“Obviously I was a little bummed,” Matthews admitted. “It was only like eight reps or so. But we have a lot of guys on this team. I understand what the preseason entails, but each preseason game we’ll get more and more playing time, and I’m looking forward to our next game.”
The point I take from all this is— the main focus of preseason game #1 was to throw all of Jim Washburn’s troops into high gear— and observe how the outcome of the DL’s new downfield philosophy benefitted the rest of the defense, i.e, linebackers and secondary guys…
That question was answered against Baltimore. If any single memory of that preseason game remains, it will be the superior performance of the Eagles’ DT’s and DE’s over the offensive line protection and blocking of the Ravens… Even today (Saturday), the Baltimore press and media are still buzzing over the utter devastation of their LT Michael Oher and RT Oneil Cousins at the hands of the Eagles DL guys and the mastermind strategy of coach Washburn…
I’m going with Nnamdi— I think we have the key element of a very special combination with this Washburn make-over…an aggressive DL that makes the rest of the secondary even that much better…
It’s a New Deal (I mean DL) in Philly… 8 guys (and possibly more) sharing a rotation and constantly playing downhill instead of setttling for absorbing OL blocks and breaking even…
I wasn’t sure it would work… then I saw it work against the Ravens…now I’m a believer.
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