Defensive formation on 3rd and 16 in Eagles game. (1 Viewer)

[SaintStephen1]

Um, no it doesn't. The execution looked like a clown show, but what is wrong with the call to play man with a Safety over the top?

Because what can happen did.

 

[Infoman]

Eagles saw man…. Ran a crosser / pick concept route combo when they saw it. And our guys obliged by doing their best 3 stooges impression. In that situation and down and distance you should be in quarters zone with your guys back at the sticks. Invite the quick throw and come up to make the tackle. We do it all the time. This was the time to do it again. It was an aggressive call, but not a smart one. Especially given the QB you’re playing. With all your DBs in man and with their backs turned to the QB…. You risk a big run by Hurts in that coverage too. That’s all I got.

 

[big screen D]

No. It doesn't. The execution looked like a clown show, but what is wrong with the call to play man with a Safety over the top?

The Eagles needed a TD. On 3rd and 16 the only way you don't at least get them to 4th down is play man to man.

The execution was horrible. The play call was risky in that situation.

 

[Nolan]

You should be able to call man defense without your guys running into each other when it wasn't even a pick play.

Those mesh concepts are naturally pick plays.

 

[St. Widge]

3rd and 15+ in this situation usually warrants soft zone coverage no matter who the quarterback.

When an offense still has yet to cross midfield, there's 80 seconds left, you play to force them into 4th down.

The fact that it was Hurts, who has shown in his career that he can't sit back in the pocket and deliver into coverage, makes it worse. We had contained incredibly well all game. The fundamental playcall is to have your ends play to contain and you sot back in soft zone.

Leaving yourself vulnerable to rub routes in that situation is just bad. It's the only way they can get chunk yards.

I agree you usually play zone. But I don't have a problem with mixing it up from time to time to keep the QB guessing. And in this case, I think the play call probably works if Lattimore and Harris don't run into each other. Harris likely holds Goddard to a short game or Howden comes up to make the tackle. The execution was a clown show.

And it wasn't a rub route. The DBs just inexplicably ran into each other.

 

[nolaswede]

Harris was following Goddard across the field.

So it was Lattimore? Anyway why not double/triple cover the only person that can catch a ball?

 

[Elvis]

Should you always play zone on 3rd and 15? It looked to me like it was man coverage with a Safety over the top. What is wrong with that call?

Always? Maybe you can find a circumstance that you wouldn't. But with the clock where it was, the amount of time our defense had been on the field during the game and the desire to keep the ball in front of the sticks, zone was the right call today. Why leave it to a tired single high safety. I don't know what the argument for man coverage would be in those circumstances.

 

[DeuceMcAllisterFan]

Eagles saw man…. Ran a crosser / pick concept route combo when they saw it. And our guys obliged by doing their best 3 stooges impression. In that situation and down and distance you should be in quarters zone with your guys back at the sticks. Invite the quick throw and come up to make the tackle. We do it all the time. This was the time to do it again. It was an aggressive call, but not a smart one. That’s all I got.

The call was fine. I still put it all on Howden. He had no business going up hill. He's the last line of defense and the only safety back there. He didn't do his job by protecting the TD and gambled going uphill and took out his two teammates in the process. The angle was horrible. Not even sure what he was thinking there.

 

[TenTwo]

If they played zone yall would whine about prevent defense. One guy made a mistake that we couldn’t afford him to make. The safety blew that play.

Defense played a great game today. We had a chance to win at the end.

Even if we’re without McCoy for the rest of the season, which is definitely possible, we can get better plans in place for our OL next week.

 

[Nolan]

I agree you usually play zone. But I don't have a problem with mixing it up from time to time to keep the QB guessing. And in this case, I think the play call probably works if Lattimore and Harris don't run into each other. Harris likely holds Goddard to a short game or Howden comes up to make the tackle. The execution was a clown show.

And it wasn't a rub route. The DBs just inexplicably ran into each other.

Mesh concepts are east man beaters because there's at least 4 guys crossing each other in pairs and there's a high probability that one side is going to be wide open if any contact is made, regardless of whether the WR makes contact or the DBs run into each other.

It's common, we see it every week across the league. We put ourself in a position to fail with that playcall.

 

[St. Widge]

The Eagles needed a TD. On 3rd and 16 the only way you don't at least get them to 4th down is play man to man.

The execution was horrible. The play call was risky in that situation.

That's not true. Teams get 15 yards or more against zone all the time.

I get that the safe call is just to play soft zone. But that's how teams always easily drive down field in 2 minute situations. There is nothing wrong with mixing it up to keep the QB from having easy reads. Especially a QB like Hurts who is prone to bad reads.

In addition, the call would have worked if Harris and Lattimore not looked like Keystone Cops.

 

[Nolan]

The call was fine. I still put it all on Howden. He had no business going up hill. He's the last line of defense and the only safety back there. He didn't do his job by protecting the TD and gambled going uphill and took out his two teammates in the process. The angle was horrible. Not even sure what he was thinking there.

It's not on Howden. He did what they asked him to do which was to double the TE. If the coaches were going that route, they needed to put him in a robber type of spot presnap where he could bracket inside releases. Instead the call was for 2 safeties to play trail technique which is pretty criminal.

 

[St. Widge]

Mesh concepts are east man beaters because there's at least 4 guys crossing each other in pairs and there's a high probability that one side is going to be wide open if any contact is made, regardless of whether the WR makes contact or the DBs run into each other.

It's common, we see it every week across the league. We put ourself in a position to fail with that playcall.

Then why would Philly even be running a Mesh concept on 3rd and 15 since teams mostly play zone on 3rd and 15?

You put yourself in a position to fail when you make the play call that everyone expects you to make every single time. Nothing wrong with mixing it up. And, again, the call would have worked if executed properly.

 

[Infoman]

The call was fine. I still put it all on Howden. He had no business going up hill. He's the last line of defense and the only safety back there. He didn't do his job by protecting the TD and gambled going uphill and took out his two teammates in the process. The angle was horrible. Not even sure what he was thinking there.

It was a bad call for that down, distance, situation and personal. I have already explained why. In other situations against other QBs I have no issue with that call. Yea, they could have played it better than cluster flub style for sure. But that call in that particular game situation and personnel. Was low chance of success at best.

The call was fine. I still put it all on Howden. He had no business going up hill. He's the last line of defense and the only safety back there. He didn't do his job by protecting the TD and gambled going uphill and took out his two teammates in the process. The angle was horrible. Not even sure what he was thinking there.

 

[DeuceMcAllisterFan]

It's not on Howden. He did what they asked him to do which was to double the TE. If the coaches were going that route, they needed to put him in a robber type of spot presnap where he could bracket inside releases. Instead the call was for 2 safeties to play trail technique which is pretty criminal.

He was the deep safety.