The Chip Wagon

How Billy Davis Manufactures the Pass Rush

Sunday was one of the more fun games to watch speaking exclusively from the defensive side of the ball. Heading into the game last week, all the talk was about the Jets dominant defense. That is a very good unit, but it was the Eagles unit that really shined on Sunday. Of course, the Jets don't have elite personnel and were dealing with some key injuries, but the Eagles dominated the Jets offense on both the front and the back end. 

One thing I've discussed before that I don't think Billy Davis gets enough credit for is how creatively he uses his front seven to create advantageous one-on-one match-ups for his key pass rushers. The Eagles don't have that elite 3-4 edge rusher that most 3-4 defenses would love to have, so Billy needs to be more creative in creating matchups for some of his better interior pass rushers like Fletcher Cox and Vinny Curry. This was on display on Sunday and several guys took advantage of those one-on-one matchups when given the opportunity. 

Behind Enemy Lines- Defending the Read Option

Yesterday I covered one of the strengths of the Seattle Seahawks offense, the read-option. They have been running it better than anyone in the NFL this year thanks to the excellent mobility of Russell Wilson and the power running of Marshawn Lynch. Of course the Eagles are not strangers to the read-option. They train against it every day in practice however Kelly suggested in his press conference yesterday that they have no one to simulate what they will face against Wilson and Lynch. That being said, Billy Davis' defense has had a fair amount of experience against the read option in the last 2 seasons against the likes of RGIII, Terrelle Pryor, Cam Newton. By and large they have faired really well thanks to good discipline and game planning along with excellent play from the defensive line. Let's have a look. 

What About Us?

Much has been made of the Dallas Cowboys offensive line this year. They have gotten a lot of press and it has been well deserved. Fran Duffy over at PhiladelphiaEagles.com really did a nice job this week highlighting just how dominant that unit has been this year. This is must read material. Despite, their 2014 performance, color the Eagles Defensive Line unimpressed. 

"People don't give us the credit that we deserve," defensive end Fletcher Cox said after Tuesday's training session, "but we put it on tape and we show the world that we can stop the run.

"If anybody that watches football knows what our D-line is known for, it's stopping the run."

"To be honest with you, [I'm] tired of hearing about it," Logan said, noting that the Eagles have faced better offensive lines. "Their O-Line, the only thing they did was add one guy, so it’s not like this year they’re so special. They’ve got to line up and play us. Are we looking forward to it? It’s not a challenge for us or anything. It’s just next game. And it’s on Thanksgiving Day."

"Not at all," Logan said. "They’re the ones that have to live up to the hype of them being the greatest offensive line and this and that. It’s just football. Physical football. The style that I love to play."

I generally do not prefer to hear players talking like this before a big game. I love the confidence, but there is no question that this unit is playing at a much higher level than last year and is the best running attack we've faced this season. But as Bennie Logan would suggest, enough about the Cowboys, let's have a look at what the big fellas are doing right his year. 

Searching for Greatness on Defense

As the regular season is now upon us and the final 53 man roster has been selected, we can take an honest look at the personnel in all facets of the football team. Despite only one new starter on defense (Malcolm Jenkins) it appears there is a fair amount of optimism amongst the coaching staff and fan base that the biggest improvement will result from the players having a full year in Billy Davis' 2-gap 3-4 scheme behind them. While I agree with the overall optimism we also need to take a fair and critical look at the personnel that Davis has at his disposal. My own honest assessment is that this is a defense full of good players but lacking in great players. Does that mean the Eagles won't have any defensive representatives this year at the Pro Bowl? Does it mean the defense can't be great in 2014? 

Perhaps not. However, I don't think it is out of line to say that the Eagles lack a true stud on the defensive side of the ball. There is no one on the Eagles defense that jumps out as a dominant player. Based on this line of thinking, in the game of football great players do not always come from elite measurables or a killer mentality. A lot of times, great football players emerge because their skill set is put to excellent use by a defensive coordinator's scheme. Sometimes, you'll see a good player become great in a particular scheme while a talented player becomes a bust in a scheme that doesn't fit his strengths. 

So the question of the day is, can any of the Eagles defensive players emerge as a great player in 2014 with the help of Billy Davis' scheme?

2-Gap, 1-Gap and Vinny Curry

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the 2-gap 3-4 and whether all of our players are scheme fits. Furthermore, there is questioning on whether the growth of players like Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, and even Fletcher Cox is stunted because of this scheme.

I think there is certainly an element of truth to this and certainly you expect pass rushers to excel in a more aggressive scheme where they can shoot gaps and get quickly into the backfield. Unfortunately, that's not the defense Billy Davis and Chip Kelly want so these guys either need to make the proper adjustments or they won't be long for the Philadelphia Eagles.