Even on a bad, bad day I can't help but enjoy watching the Eagles successfully running my favorite play: The Sweep Read. It's one of the Eagles best running plays and when successfully executed it is a thing of beauty to watch. For example we used it successfully to help neutralize JJ Watt in the Texans game and it's it a nice mix of an old school play with a new school option. Quite simply it uses the old pin and pull concepts on the traditional sweep play and mixes in a read-option component.
Following the Fletcher Cox fumble recovery, the Eagles ran a 3 play TD drive, and ran a version of the sweep read each time. For good measure, they added a new wrinkle on TD scoring play.
Following the turnover, let's look at the first play the Eagles run. The key player on a lot of the Eagles sweep plays is Jason Kelce. His mobility is a huge assett and they ask a lot from him. On this play, Kelce will immediately release to the second level to attack the middle LB. Note Andrew Gardner will pull to the outside on the sweep. Celek's job is to pin the edge defender to the inside:
The new school element is of course the read-option. In order for Kelce to immediately release to the second level, he will leave his man on the defensive line unblocked. This is different than the traditional read-option where the offensive line leaves an unblocked edge defender. Here the unblocked defender is an interior defensive lineman and you can see Sanchez reading him here. The general rule of thumb is if #97 goes after McCoy, Sanchez can keep and run up the middle with 2 OL blocking in front of him. Here, the read does a good job of freezing the defender and taking him away from defending the sweep:
Kelce and Gardner get excellent blocks on the outside:
The next play the Eagles run another version of the read sweep to the other side of the field. This time they pull Mathis and Kelce to the outside. Again, it will be Celek's job to pin the edge defender to the inside.
Once again, with the spots vacated by Kelce and Mathis, this leaves unblocked interior D-linemen in the middle which Sanchez will read. Here, Sanchez's read takes two interior defenders out of the play:
The play gets stretched out and McCoy can't quite get to the edge and break the plane:
Last play and 3rd sweep read in a row. This time with yet another wrinkle. Sanchez calls Sproles to share the backfield with Lesean McCoy. Once again, Celek will pin his man inside and Kelce and Gardner will pull to the outside. To gain an additional blocker, McCoy actually serves as a fullback or lead blocker to lead the way for Sproles:
Once again, the pulling OL leave a vacancy in the middle of the field and Sanchez will read him. You will also see Sproles now has 3 instead of 2 blockers on the edge:
McCoy and Gardner do a great job sealing the edge and Kelce gets the safety out of the way. This leaves Rolando McClain as the only defender to chase down Darren Sproles:
And yeah, that ain't happening. You'll also note how McCoy and Gardner took their man completely out of the play.
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