Eagles-Steelers Movie Assessment: Watch out about doubting Jalen Hurts

Man, what a efficiency. This was dominant. I’ve been fairly constant in my evaluation all season lengthy. This Philadelphia Eagles offense (particularly the passing sport) has not been good, however there’s sufficient good things each week to maintain me believing. This week in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers was an enormous step ahead, although. Let’s go!

Offense

Who else knew it will be an excellent day after this throw? What a magnificence. We haven’t seen many ‘Stick Nod’ routes this yr, however that doesn’t imply Jalen Hurts can’t throw it! This felt like an announcement throw early. The Eagles’ offense got here out passing the soccer and had loads of success. It was attention-grabbing that the Eagles got here out in Empty, and it felt like they used Empty much more on this sport. Hurts makes this look simple! I’m fairly positive Hurts is studying the off-ball linebacker #6, and when he drops to the weak facet, you have got 2v3 on one facet and 3v3 on the robust facet, so Hurts instantly will get his head again to the robust facet. His processing was glorious all sport.

I really like happening the sector from empty; you simply must hope the cross safety can maintain up because it does right here.

This can be a implausible play by Kenny Gainwell, however it is just potential due to how shortly Hurts will get via his reads and checks it down. YAC has been a quarterback statistic for a very long time, and this throw summarizes why. Gainwell has turn into a superb possibility on third down for the Eagles, and he’s a helpful participant to focus on in house.

Did you learn final week’s ‘Idea of the Week?’ When you did, you’ll know why I used to be so pleased to see this one! If not, right here’s why…

I need the Eagles to ascertain the run and marry these run ideas into the play-action/RPO scheme. There may be a lot extra the Eagles may do. I wish to see the Eagles begin making these simple for Hurts and attempt to make their passing sport complement the run sport. I’ll be watching the Eagles’ passing sport this week to see if they begin making issues simpler for Hurts and linking the passing sport to the run sport’s success. It must be a straightforward manner of bettering the effectivity of the passing sport.

The Eagles solely ran certainly one of these performs I can bear in mind, so I gained’t take an enormous victory lap. Nevertheless, if you’re studying Kellen Moore, how about operating a pair extra this week?

This was an incredible name for this week as a result of the Steelers offered out to cease the Eagles’ run sport. I watched Nick Sirianni’s post-game press convention, and he talked about that the Eagles didn’t intentionally come out and throw the ball extra this week due to AJ Brown’s feedback. I consider him. There was no manner the Eagles may run the ball throughout this Steelers’ protection as a result of they performed loads of heavy packing containers to cease the run. This needed to be a pass-first sport plan. The Eagles sport plan was the precise one this week. It doesn’t imply each week shall be like this!

One other snap from Empty! As you guys might know, I’ve a Patreon the place you’ll be able to assist my work and likewise be a part of a discord with like-minded Eagles followers. I’m not a stats man, however we now have a perform the place you’ll be able to request stats from my co-host, Shane Haff, who will reply. I used to be curious in regards to the Eagles’ use of empty on this one, so I popped a query within the chat. This was his response!

So, it turned out the movie doesn’t lie. The Eagles have been implausible from Empty this week. The Eagles’ sport plan wasn’t dramatically completely different within the passing sport this week, however they undoubtedly threw from Empty extra. I may summarize the Eagles’ passing sport in 2 easy sentences this week…

Man protection = throw it to AJ Brown.
Zone protection = throw it to DeVonta Smith / examine it right down to Kenny Gainwell.

Clearly, I’m being facetious right here, but it surely’s form of true. When Hurts noticed man protection, he went to AJ Brown. Who was excellent on this one. The Eagles went again to some one-on-one pictures to AJ Brown, and so they labored. This may be irritating and look simplistic when it doesn’t work however I’ve by no means had an issue with this, and I nonetheless do not. It wouldn’t be my favourite name on a key third down, however these performs usually are not 50/50 balls. AJ Brown is so good.

I don’t love play-action throws the place you solely have one receiver operating a route. However that one receiver is AJ Brown, who could be the NFL’s finest receiver presently. So, possibly it’s not such a nasty name after name. Both manner, I like being extra artistic within the Crimson Zone and concentrating on your finest receiver. It sounds smart to me!

Except for final week, the Eagles’ enchancment in opposition to the blitz this yr has been nothing wanting astounding. This was a workforce and a quarterback whose complete offense crumbled as a result of they couldn’t throw in opposition to strain. Kellen Moore has fastened it. The Eagles’ offense is aware of precisely the place to go in opposition to the blitz, and Hurts has carved up the blitz all season lengthy. This week was no completely different. The Steelers stored sending cover-1 blitzes, and Hurts stated thanks very a lot. He is aware of precisely the place to go along with the soccer, and AJ Brown was too good to cease in one-on-one protection.

This was certainly one of my favourite calls of the evening. This appears practically an identical to the play the Eagles ran on DeVonta Smith’s landing final week vs the Panthers. Nice offenses don’t name completely different performs each week. Nice offenses gown up the identical ideas repeatedly to confuse defenses however maintain it easy for the offense. The Eagles often have Smith operating the out route (as they did final week), however right here they’ve him come inside after the movement. The Steelers’ protection performs this gorgeous properly (they Banjo the 2 receivers and cross them off properly), however the spacing and design of the play is just too good to cease. That is exceptionally properly executed. Hurts does an incredible job together with his ball placement and throws it round Minkah Fitzpatrick properly. Good ball. Nice play name. I find it irresistible!

I don’t know if anybody else seen this, but it surely felt like Hurts was making an attempt to flee up the sector extra this week relatively than operating to the facet. I seen it just a few occasions. Right here’s one other instance of a play that refers to my abstract earlier…

2. Zone protection = throw it to DeVonta Smith / examine it right down to Kenny Gainwell.

Hurts did take just a few sacks and the passing sport wasn’t good, however this is a wonderful Steelers’ cross rush and a high protection. Hurts had 0.35 EPA per play and 17.1 Complete EPA. That’s excellent. I stated final week that I believed the general design was an enormous subject, in addition to Hurts. I feel he took the criticism personally. I’ve criticized Hurts loads up to now, and he all the time appears to show the doubters improper. I’d watch out about doubting Hurts. I feel he’s a mentally powerful dude who thrives off strain.

This was my favourite throw of the sport. It could look easy, but it surely’s superior. Let’s clarify why.

The Steelers have been blitzing 6 fairly incessantly on this sport. I confirmed you an instance of this earlier. They present blitz, and Hurts has to count on strain. I think about his scorching route was the slant to DeVonta Smith on the precise facet. Nevertheless, the Steelers drop each off-ball linebackers and solely rush 4. This takes away the precise facet because the slant is operating straight into the linebacker, and the Eagles solely have 2 receivers in opposition to the Steelers’ 4 defenders. Nevertheless, they’re 3v3 on the high of the display screen. Hurts eliminates the 2 foremost routes and instantly checks it right down to Gainwell in house earlier than the off-ball linebacker could make the sort out. Sure, this is a wonderful play by Gainwell. Sure, he may have been tackled earlier than the primary down marker. However that is glorious processing and quarterback play by Hurts. Typically, it’s important to course of shortly and provides your man an opportunity to make a play. That’s what Hurts does right here. I’m a large fan of this one.

Empty formation. Man protection. Throw it to AJ Brown. Soccer doesn’t must be sophisticated, does it?

The Steelers’ defensive scheme depends on their exterior cornerbacks having the ability to play man protection in opposition to the opposing exterior huge receivers. This plan has labored. The Steelers got here into this sport because the third finest protection in ‘Dropback EPA per play allowed.’ That’s good. Guess the place the Steelers’ protection ranked this week in the identical metric? twenty seventh. That’s the AJ Brown affect. It’s simple to criticize the Steelers’ protection for persevering with to play single-high man protection, however that is what they’ve completed all season lengthy! AJ Brown was just too good for his or her exterior cornerbacks to deal with. He ran some excellent routes, and his route operating doesn’t get the credit score it deserves as a result of he’s so huge and quick. He’s huge and quick but additionally a artful route runner.

We now have reached play 11, and I haven’t posted a operating play! To be trustworthy, there wasn’t a lot to point out. It wasn’t nice, however the Eagles stored plugging away, forcing the Steelers to take it significantly. The Eagles’ operating sport made throwing the soccer simpler this week. I don’t doubt that groups will begin to respect the Eagles’ passing sport extra transferring ahead, which is able to most likely open up some mild packing containers within the run. This offense is just too proficient to cease when it’s taking part in in rhythm. I used to be glad that regardless that the passing sport was working, the Eagles didn’t fully cease operating the soccer. Saquon Barkley practically broke this one.

We needed to finish with one other throw. Right here is Hurts processing issues properly and making a throwing window to DeVonta Smith over the center of the sector. I actually loved this offensive efficiency, and it was nice to see the passing sport get again on observe. Perhaps AJ Brown’s feedback did make a distinction. I feel the Eagles simplified loads of issues and obtained again to fundamentals, which allowed Hurts to get right into a rhythm early on. I loved this one, and I hope you probably did too!

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