Eagles-Steelers Film Review: Be cautious 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 towards the Pittsburgh Steelers was an enormous step ahead, although. Let’s go!

Offense

Who else knew it might be a very good day after this throw? What a magnificence. We haven’t seen many ‘Stick Nod’ routes this 12 months, 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 quite a lot 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 certain Hurts is studying the off-ball linebacker #6, and when he drops to the weak aspect, you may have 2v3 on one aspect and 3v3 on the sturdy aspect, so Hurts instantly will get his head again to the sturdy aspect. His processing was glorious all sport.

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

This is a incredible play by Kenny Gainwell, however it is just potential due to how rapidly Hurts will get by means of his reads and checks it down. YAC has been a quarterback statistic for a very long time, and this throw summarizes why. Gainwell has develop into a wonderful possibility on third down for the Eagles, and he’s a helpful participant to focus on in area.

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

I need the Eagles to determine the run and marry these run ideas into the play-action/RPO scheme. There is 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 means 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. However, in case you are studying Kellen Moore, how about operating a pair extra this week?

This was an awesome 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 means the Eagles may run the ball throughout this Steelers’ protection as a result of they performed quite a lot of heavy containers to cease the run. This needed to be a pass-first sport plan. The Eagles sport plan was the suitable one this week. It doesn’t imply each week might be like this!

Another snap from Empty! As you guys could know, I’ve a Patreon the place you may help my work and in addition be a part of a discord with like-minded Eagles followers. I’m not a stats man, however now we have a perform the place you may request stats from my co-host, Shane Haff, who will reply. I used to be curious concerning 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 incredible from Empty this week. The Eagles’ sport plan wasn’t dramatically totally different within the passing sport this week, however they positively threw from Empty extra. I may summarize the Eagles’ passing sport in 2 easy sentences this week…

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

Obviously, I’m being facetious right here, nevertheless it’s kind 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 will 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. But that one receiver is AJ Brown, who may be the NFL’s finest receiver presently. So, possibly it’s not such a nasty name after name. Either means, I like being extra inventive within the Red Zone and focusing on your finest receiver. It sounds clever to me!

With the exception of final week, the Eagles’ enchancment towards the blitz this 12 months has been nothing in need of astounding. This was a group and a quarterback whose total offense crumbled as a result of they couldn’t throw towards strain. Kellen Moore has fastened it. The Eagles’ offense is aware of precisely the place to go towards the blitz, and Hurts has carved up the blitz all season lengthy. This week was no totally different. The Steelers stored sending cover-1 blitzes, and Hurts mentioned thanks very a lot. He is aware of precisely the place to go together 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 seems practically similar to the play the Eagles ran on DeVonta Smith’s landing final week vs the Panthers. Great offenses don’t name totally different performs each week. Great offenses gown up the identical ideas repeatedly to confuse defenses however preserve it easy for the offense. The Eagles normally 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 nicely (they Banjo the 2 receivers and cross them off nicely), however the spacing and design of the play is just too good to cease. This is exceptionally nicely executed. Hurts does an awesome job together with his ball placement and throws it round Minkah Fitzpatrick nicely. Good ball. Great play name. I like it!

I don’t know if anybody else observed this, nevertheless it felt like Hurts was making an attempt to flee up the sector extra this week fairly than operating to the aspect. I observed it a couple of occasions. Here’s one other instance of a play that refers to my abstract earlier…

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

Hurts did take a couple of 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 Total EPA. That’s excellent. I mentioned final week that I assumed the general design was an enormous subject, in addition to Hurts. I believe he took the criticism personally. I’ve criticized Hurts rather a lot prior to now, and he at all times appears to show the doubters mistaken. I’d watch out about doubting Hurts. I believe he’s a mentally robust dude who thrives off strain.

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

The Steelers have been blitzing 6 fairly steadily 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 suitable aspect. However, the Steelers drop each off-ball linebackers and solely rush 4. This takes away the suitable aspect because the slant is operating straight into the linebacker, and the Eagles solely have 2 receivers towards the Steelers’ 4 defenders. However, 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 area earlier than the off-ball linebacker could make the sort out. Yes, this is a wonderful play by Gainwell. Yes, he may have been tackled earlier than the primary down marker. But that is glorious processing and quarterback play by Hurts. Sometimes, you need to course of rapidly and provides your man an opportunity to make a play. That’s what Hurts does right here. I’m an enormous fan of this one.

Empty formation. Man protection. Throw it to AJ Brown. Football doesn’t should be difficult, does it?

The Steelers’ defensive scheme depends on their outdoors cornerbacks with the ability to play man protection towards the opposing outdoors 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 influence. It’s simple to criticize the Steelers’ protection for persevering with to play single-high man protection, however that is what they’ve accomplished all season lengthy! AJ Brown was just too good for his or her outdoors 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 massive and quick. He’s massive and quick but additionally a artful route runner.

We have reached play 11, and I haven’t posted a operating play! To be sincere, there wasn’t a lot to indicate. It wasn’t nice, however the Eagles stored plugging away, forcing the Steelers to take it severely. 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 can most likely open up some gentle 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 despite the fact 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. Here is Hurts processing issues nicely 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 monitor. Maybe AJ Brown’s feedback did make a distinction. I believe the Eagles simplified quite a lot of issues and received 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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