Defensive formation on 3rd and 16 in Eagles game. (4 Viewers)

[Infoman]

You have amazing insight into how Philly runs their offense and their play calls on that play.

I do not. It’s basic stuff every one runs.

 

[DaveXA]

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.

I guarantee you the same people complaining about this would complain if it were zone and they gave up a first down and later scored.

 

[Nolan]

They are, but a smart defense knows how to deal with those concepts. The problem is you had a rookie defender not having situational awareness as to where the other guys are on the field.

And it happens. If we kick a FG earlier, all of this is moot.

I don't love that our answer to doubling their only threat is having 2 safeties in trail technique. That's bad coaching.

If we are going to play man and double him, then do it properly and bracket him.

 

[faceman]

The guy (tight end Goedert) has been making receptions all game long, why was no one guarding him, he was wide open most of the game. this one is on DA!

I'm assuming DA was using a spy on Hurts. This is why a spy is a dumb idea. you're playing with 10 men on defense.

 

[St. Widge]

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.

I mean he left it to a solid coverage Safety in man coverage with a Safety over the top. Both guys messed up their execution along with Lattimore. And while it's more aggressive than just playing zone, the call would have worked if not for poor execution.

And frankly, calling a Mesh concept on 3rd and 15 is an odder call than DA choosing to play man with a Safety over the top.

The argument for that coverage on that play was that Goddard was the only guy hurting you and they were down to their 3rd and 4th WR who had barely played before this game. So they essentially doubled Goddard by putting Harris in man coverage on him with a Safety over the top. Given what Philly had on the field at WR, I don't have an issue with that call. In addition, it's odd to call for a Mesh concept when it's 3rd and 15.

 

[Elvis]

I guarantee you the same people complaining about this would complain if it were zone and they gave up a first down and later scored.

I'm sure you're right but I'm not sure how that is important. Most people really only complain when they play soft zone all the way down the field, on 1st and 10, etc. In this situation the defense was gassed in the second half. Sending them into man coverage on that 3rd and 16, with the ball on the Philly 35, with 1:16 left in the game was a bad call.

 

[St. Widge]

I don't love that our answer to doubling their only threat is having 2 safeties in trail technique. That's bad coaching.

If we are going to play man and double him, then do it properly and bracket him.

I agree that I would have put Taylor on Goddard instead of Harris given that Philly were down their top two WRs. But, while I might have done different things, I still don't have an issue with the play call. The execution just sucked. And, I suspect the reason for it had a lot to do with having someone spy on Hurts to stop him from running for the first. It didn't work there, but the D did a good job of stopping Hurts from running the entire game and when you only give up 15 you should expect to win.

 

[DaveXA]

I'm sure you're right but I'm not sure how that is important. Most people really only complain when they play soft zone all the way down the field, on 1st and 10, etc. In this situation the defense was gassed in the second half. Sending them into man coverage on that 3rd and 16, with the ball on the Philly 35, with 1:16 left in the game was a bad call.

I disagree. If the defenders don't run into each other, he probably gets 8-10 yards then you force them into a 4th down.

It was simply a fluke play.

 

[SaintStephen1]

So they somehow inexplicably figured that DA would decide to play man instead of on zone that play? Despite people saying that playing zone was the smart move and playing man is dumb?

Because he always does in big situations which is why they seem to always give up points in last 2 minute situations of each half. I write about this week after week every year. He doesn’t learn:

 

[Saintslfc13]

Why were in man-to-man DA?

In spite of the offensive struggles, this game should never been lost.

Because that's our strong suit. Our DBs corps is meticulously built to play man coverage more often than not. It didn't work this time but the alternative is that DA special soft zone that all of us hate. Sometimes players make plays, sometimes bad things happen. You run that same play 100 times the Saints probably win most of them. It is what it is.

 

[Nolan]

I mean he left it to a solid coverage Safety in man coverage with a Safety over the top. Both guys messed up their execution along with Lattimore. And while it's more aggressive than just playing zone, the call would have worked if not for poor execution.

And frankly, calling a Mesh concept on 3rd and 15 is an odder call than DA choosing to play man with a Safety over the top.

The argument for that coverage on that play was that Goddard was the only guy hurting you and they were down to their 3rd and 4th WR who had barely played before this game. So they essentially doubled Goddard by putting Harris in man coverage on him with a Safety over the top. Given what Philly had on the field at WR, I don't have an issue with that call. In addition, it's odd to call for a Mesh concept when it's 3rd and 15.

It's not an odd call versus a man heavy team. Let's say the mesh doesn't work and our guys fight through the "screens", you still have a decent chance at a 7-8 yard completion with potential for a broken tackle and YAC, or at the very least set yourself up for a manageable 4th and medium. But the reward is high if the defenders get caught in traffic, as we saw. It's a very easy playcall for what we show defensively.

 

[St. Widge]

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

They were essentially doubling Goddard. Harris was in man on Goddard with Howden over the top. But Harris ran into Lattimore and Howden didn't come up and make the tackle. If you want to argue that Taylor or Lattimore should have been in coverage on Goddard, I won't disagree with you. But doing what they did wasn't a outlandish call. The execution was just poor. Which, in the end, is on DA too.

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

For the Madden players out there, this proves the EA Games motto "If it's in The Game, it's in The Game!"

 

[St. Widge]

It's not an odd call versus a man heavy team. Let's say the mesh doesn't work and our guys fight through the "screens", you still have a decent chance at a 7-8 yard completion with potential for a broken tackle and YAC, or at the very least set yourself up for a manageable 4th and medium. But the reward is high if the defenders get caught in traffic, as we saw. It's a very easy playcall for what we show defensively.

On the average defensive play sure. But we don't always play man in two minute situations and we played a lot of zone today to contain Hurts.

 

[Elvis]

I disagree. If the defenders don't run into each other, he probably gets 8-10 yards then you force them into a 4th down.

What might have happened without player error on the play is irrelevant. We're talking about whether it was the right call or not in that situation. I am arguing that it simply wasn't the right call for the situation.