Change of Direction-How Chip Out-Coached and Out-Schemed the Giants- Part 2

In the previous post, I covered how Chip foiled the Giants plans of attacking our inside zone running game by giving the Giants defense a heavy dose of sweep read and attacking the edges of the defense. In part 2, I wanted to focus on a couple of other aspects, but Fran Duffy and Sheil Kapadia largely beat me to the punch with some great posts. Despite that, I promised a part 2, so here it is and I hope it adds some additional insights and highlights to those 2 terrific pieces. 

In a previous post from back in the preseason, I highlighted how the Eagles started featuring a pistol look. The usage of the pistol is in direct response to teams like the Giants who cheated on our inside zone runs because we would largely dictate the play-side and direction of our runs based on the pre-snap formation. To date, we've seen that providing different pre-snap looks, motions, and play-calls this is probably the area where Chip has evolved his offense the most to date. To recap Chip has mixed things up in a variety of ways in the 2013/2014 offense:

• We do a run a toss play where we line up in the inside zone formation and Nick instead tosses it to the backside:

• Pre-snap with the back lined up on one side of the QB, we will re-position the back to the other side of the QB just before snapping the ball:

Fran Duffy has a great animated gif that shows this pre-snap motion:

• Note, we've also done this shift pre-snap out of the pistol formation. 
• Finally, last year we responded against the Green Bay Packers by not giving away the direction of the run play pre-snap by running some of our core running game principles with Foles under center and McCoy lined up directly behind him:

As the other guys have shown, we did a similar thing against the Giants on Sunday night, but we added a bit more of a wrinkle to really take advantage of their aggressive defense. Note McCoy's position in the backfield. Lined up directly behind Foles, we are no longer dictating the direction of the playside, so McCoy may run to either side and thus the Giants don't react pre-snap:

After the snap Nick turns and McCoy steps towards the playside. It looks like a run behind Jason Peters and Matt Tobin with all OL action flowing to the left. More notable, check out the ball position from Foles. It is in his right hand and he's extending the ball to hand-off to his left side. Specifically note Hankins and Beason on this play. They are both zoned in on a designed run to the left:

However, this is a counter and McCoy will quickly shift back to the other side and Foles switches hands and ends up handing the ball with his left. The Eagles get great blocking to the right, especially from Brent Celek pinning his man inside and this leaves McCoy with a one-on-one matchup against McBride and we all know how that's going to end:

Same idea a little later:

Again, check out the ball action from Foles and the subsequent reaction of Hankins and Beason:

Foles, again switches to his left and it's another counter. Also a nice crack back block from Zach Ertz from the slot:

Another one-on-one face off in the open field between McCoy and McBride on the wide side of the field:

So now let's combine this concept with something I highlighted in a post last week. In that post I highlighted on of Chip's reactions to counter teams that are stacking the box. Quite simply, use more blockers. He specifically got the WRs more involved in the run blocking game closer to the line of scrimmage. Let's see how Chip combined the concepts highlighted above, with the things he featured last week against the Rams to get the run game going. The Eagles line up with a 6 man line, but note how close to the formation Josh Huff and Jordan Matthews line up:

McCoy is lined up in the backfield directly behind Foles. Again, no direction tell pre-snap:

Following the snap, Nick fakes the run right and McCoy jab steps. Note Beason and Hankins:

Nick switches hands to the other side. Celek again with a terrific downblock:

And check out the blocks from Huff and Matthews and the humungous hole for McCoy:

Same idea deep in our own territory. Matthews and Cooper are lined up near the slot:

Again, Foles under center with no directional tell:

Foles fakes right, Peters releases down on Beason who is leaning towards the right:

Swaps hands and goes left. This gives Peters enough time to get on Beason:

and terrific backside blocks from Cooper and Matthews:

Finally, I would be remiss not to highlight one more run principle that has been working effectively. This time from the inside zone read formation where we dictate the play-side. Ertz is lined up behind Brent Celek. It's just another flavor of what we do. Note Trumaine McBride who is lined up over Zach Ertz in man coverage. We know it is man coverage because as Ertz comes across the formation, McBride follows him in pursuit:

What unfolds is what appears to be a standard inside zone read option play with Foles reading Jason Pierre-Paul as the unblocked defender: 

But instead Zach Ertz stonewalls him. The Eagles have employed the split zone and sift block with good success and they usally employ James Casey with the role of executing the sift block. However, this time, that role is played by Ertz. But of course, Ertz, not known for his blocking is a bigger threat as the receiver so as McBride motions with him, all he is worried about is not allow Ertz to escape into the flat on a route (remember we burned the Rams on this concept last week with Riley Cooper). As a result, McBride overpursues to the edge leaving a gaping hole for McCoy to run through. Ertz effectively "blocked' two defenders on this play:

I cannot stress the complexity that the defense is faced with on this simple play based on historical looks and concepts Chip has employed. If you are the defender, you have to consider a multitude of options on this play:

• Is it an inside zone run? If so, the edge defender wants to crash down on McCoy. 
• But if he does that, he leaves a running lane for the QB by the space he's vacated
• My adding Ertz in motion, the second level defender has to defend against Ertz continuing his route into the flat
• But if he overpursues and Ertz blocks instead, he's overrun the play and leaves a potential hole in the defense, that has happened in this case. 

So in short, Chip can dress up this exact concept and the end result could potentially be:

• an inside zone run
• a QB keeper
• a pass to the flat to Zach Ertz
• the edge defender may (or may not) get blocked
• the coverage player may (or may not) have to cover (or not)

You really need to wonder whether a coach is going to elect to NOT show his defense the film of the Eagles offense because it might actually contribute to even more confusion on gameday. 

Heading into the bye week, Chip Kelly deserves a lot of credit for a lot of different things about the job he's done since joining the Eagles. However, this post (and others) really highlights not only his creativity, but his willingness to evolve and change. 

At Oregon, Chip was very commited to the inside and outside zone game. He emphatically stated that they don't use the Pistol. For more of his time in Oregon and in Philadelphia we were mostly a shotgun offense. Through the first month the run game was absolutely grounded. Major kudos for Coach Kelly fixing it in some pretty creative and uncharacteristic ways.