What's Wrong with the Defense?

[SunMo]

One of the more suprising things this season has been the poor play of the defense, secondary especially.  They were gouged by the run against the Falcons (w/o Trotter) and the Broncos, but otherwise they have been pretty good against the run.  But the secondary has not been good at all this year.

I think there a couple things that are contributing to the poor play.  The first one being that they are on the field for way too many plays.  The offense leads the league in 3 and outs and with all the passing they've done this year, they aren't taking any time off the clock. 

Another thing is the front four, they are killing the secondary.  The front four can not get any pressure on their own, thus hanging the secondary out to dry.  The only time that JJ can get pressure is through the blitz, but even the blitzes are getting picked up.

I also think that the secondary, Lito and Lewis in general, have gotten a little high on themselves this year.  Lito is constantly baiting the qb in hopes of getting picks but it's back firing on him.  Michael Lewis is being made to look silly when he's trying to cover somebody, and he even admits that their head's are too big.

As far as personnel goes, that's the most confusing, this is basically the same lineup that started the Super Bowl last year, with 2 exceptions, Burgess and Simon.  And seeing that the majority of the problems are with the front four, you have to admit that they miss these guys.

The bottom line is, we are back to Eagles football 2001-2003 here.  They need good defense to force turnovers and get good field position with the offense maximizing what the defense gets them.  The defense needs to pick up the play if there is any chance of the Eagles making a run at the playoffs or even the division.

[RezRob]

You hit the nail on the head w/the 3 & outs. This begs the same point everyone talks about the running game. Our D is good and not our weakness. Look what they did vs L.T. Teams will score, but you have to give the D a breather sometimes, not to mention capitalize on turn-overs. AR needs to get the playcalling better early in games. We need early points for confidence, that's probably the bottom line.

[hunt]

Another thing is the front four, they are killing the secondary.  The front four can not get any pressure on their own, thus hanging the secondary out to dry.  The only time that JJ can get pressure is through the blitz, but even the blitzes are getting picked up.


As far as personnel goes, that's the most confusing, this is basically the same lineup that started the Super Bowl last year, with 2 exceptions, Burgess and Simon.  And seeing that the majority of the problems are with the front four, you have to admit that they miss these guys.

you answered your own question.

[mussa]

its been really a lack of consistency...one game they dominate..the next they can't stop anything.  it def. has to do with the offense and always being out on the field will just turn a good defense into a bad one quick.  and lito has been exposed this year...he really needs to cover better and tackle better.  big disappointment so far.  other defensive slackers, have been Adams, Jones and Lewis IMO.

Trotter has been a no show for the defense too in the last 2 games.  Where has he been and where is that energy?

[PhillyPhreak54]

Lito and Mike Lewis thought a little too highly of themselves after the Pro-Bowl berths last year, IMO.

They need a smack back to reality.

Mike and Dhani better be ready to shut Witten down tonight and Lito better not try to "let me bait this here QB and watch Terry Glenn blow right on by me".

Good thing for the Eagles is that Flozell Adams is hurt in Dallas and they've been starting Torrin Tucker.

And I know Kearse had troubles with the Pettitti/Witten/Campbell rotation last time, but I think he has a good game tonight.

Payton will go max-protect again likely though so the secondary better be up to task.,

[qwert246]

Another thing is the front four, they are killing the secondary.  The front four can not get any pressure on their own, thus hanging the secondary out to dry.  The only time that JJ can get pressure is through the blitz, but even the blitzes are getting picked up.


As far as personnel goes, that's the most confusing, this is basically the same lineup that started the Super Bowl last year, with 2 exceptions, Burgess and Simon.  And seeing that the majority of the problems are with the front four, you have to admit that they miss these guys.

you answered your own question.

The team was banking on McDougal even though he had shown that he sucked ass.  If he was there you still be complaining about the front 4.

[Mad-Lad]

I just really hope McCoy can get on the field sooner than later.  I'm not too fond of the LBs.

[rjs246]

If these shteinheads miss tackles like they did last week I'm going to take a long squirty shtein in a gladlock bag and mail it to the novacare complex. farging weak ass, arm-tackling, nancies.

[Larry]

ST have been poor as well.

It's much easier playing defense when the opposing team is pinned back in their own territory.

[SunMo]

good article from Reuben..

Eagles defense hits Kryptonite

By REUBEN FRANK
phillyBurbs.com

PHILADELPHIA — It's gone from a strength to a weakness.

Last year, the Eagles sent three of their four defensive backs to the Pro Bowl, and the one who didn't go was named to one all-pro team.

This year, the Eagles are 23rd-best in the NFL in pass defense and have already allowed 20 touchdown passes, most since 1999 and only four fewer than they allowed in 2000 and 2001 combined.

What happened? Where did it all go wrong defensively for the Eagles? How did a Super Bowl pass defense turn into this?

"It's a combination of things," defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said yesterday. "I wish I had an easy answer. I hate to make a bunch of excuses, but that's what I find myself doing.

"It's something we have to look at in the end of the season and see why this is happening."

Pass pressure has been lame. Coverage has been sporadic. Third down has been a disaster. And the Eagles in one year have gone from one of the most dominant pass defenses in the league to one of the worst.

"We've got to find guys who are going to rush the passer," Johnson said. ... It's something we have to continue to work on. We have to evaluate it in the offseason and get better. There's no easy answer. I wish there was."

Only five teams — the 49ers (26), Titans (26), Rams (24), Chiefs (23) and Patriots (22) — have allowed more touchdown passes than the Eagles. The Eagles are 25th in total defense, 23rd in passing defense, 23rd in sacks and 27rd in yards per pass play.

And injuries can't be an excuse. The Eagles have been devastated on offense, but only cornerback Lito Sheppard and backup tackle Paul Grasmanis have been lost for the season on defense.

There's certainly a chance that when the Pro Bowl teams come out the defense won't be represented at all for the first time since 1998.

Last year, they had five.

Johnson suspects the root of the problem is the nearly constant lack of pass pressure. The Eagles have gotten just 121/2 sacks from their defensive ends, 61/2 from Jevon Kearse, 5.0 from rookie Trent Cole and one from Ndukwe Kalu.

Kearse has 14 sacks in 27 games as an Eagle, 51/2 in two games. That means he has 81/2 in the 26 other games. At $7.8 million per year.

"I know he's frustrated," Johnson said. "The effort is there. He's such a speed rusher and maybe he needs a couple different moves."

Only six teams that play a 4-3 front have recorded fewer sacks this year out of their defensive linemen. Last year, the Eagles ranked second in the NFL in sacks.

The Eagles have been unable to take quarterbacks out of their comfort zone and it's led to big play after big play. Quarterbacks are averaging 7.3 yards per pass attempt against the Eagles, the highest figure against the Eagles in 17 years and fourth-worst in the NFL. Only the 49ers (8.0), Texans (7.7) and Patriots (7.5) have allowed more yards per pass play.

After ranking among the top seven in the NFL in scoring defense five straight years, the Eagles are now 25th.

Johnson said defensive tackle Darwin Walker, struggling through a miserable season, will be back in the starting lineup opposite rookie Mike Patterson when the Eagles and Rams meet at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis in a battle of 5-8 teams.

Johnson benched Walker for Sam Rayburn in the Giants game and said Walker played better.

"One of the reasons I didn't start him was to light a fire a little bit and he came through ... and played pretty good," Johnson said. "There are a lot of things that happen for a defensive tackle, but his production has decreased and so has Sam's. I'm sure they're disappointed. We are too. ... We are not getting inside pressure like we have in the past."

For a while, Cole was getting great pressure on the quarterback and that was helping Kearse. But the last few weeks, that hasn't happened and neither has a sack since the first Giants game.

Johnson said teams are still double-teaming Kearse, which should open things up for Cole.

"You would think so," Johnson said.

This is the first time since September of 2003 Eagles defensive ends have gone three straight games without a sack. Eagles castoff Derrick Burgess has 13 for the Raiders, more than all Eagles defensive ends and only 51/2 fewer than all Eagles defensive linemen.

What happens next?

"Right now, I'm thinking about getting ready for the Rams and that's all I'm focused on," Johnson said. "I don't want to think about the offseason right now."

*Right tackle Jon Runyan (knee) was the only player to miss practice. But he's expected to play in his 142nd consecutive game Sunday.

[hunt]

dude...i thought we already established that they don't miss burgess..............or simon.............or reese.

jeesh.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Kearse is stealing money.  I think Brasher needs to retire and get some new blood in the defensive coaching staff.

Simon has been 'meh' for the Colts.  This team misses Burgess infinitely more than Simon.  Oh well.

[DH]

dude...i thought we already established that they don't miss burgess..............or simon.............or reese.

jeesh.

I don't think anybody can or will debate that. The point was, is, and forever will be that we could not pay those guys what they wanted.

End of story.

[ice grillin you]

The point was, is, and forever will be that we could not pay those guys what they wanted

absolutely not true

simon could have made his 5 mil for this year and would have immediately come off the books at the end of the season... even after signing westbrook and akers birds are more than 5 mil over the cap

burgess at the time seemed to have been overpaid..contract doesnt look so bad now tho...can you rip the birds for not keeping him...probably not...but they definitely could have kept him if they wanted to...its tough decisions like these that are the difference between having a good franchise and the gold standard

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I think the better way to say it is... at the time, neither contract was worth giving.  Obviously, the Eagles were in a financial position where they could have signed those guys, but Burgess's contract was way too rich compared to his extensive injury history and spotty production and Simon was out of shape not going to be worth $5 million.  Guess what?  They were 1 for 2 on that.  Only reason you could say letting Simon go was a mistake is that our remaining DT group has been weak sauce.  Simon may be a starter in Indy, but he's not even one of their best two DT's... and he's still out of shape.