Bears Video Rewind

I'm going to have a bit of a different posting schedule this week due to some business-related travel.  Video rewind tonight while I still have DVR access -- and the fresh scars to not want to watch MNF -- and then other stuff later in the week.

- - - - - -

There wasn't a smoking gun.  I re-watched every snap of that game looking for what it was the Bears did differently on defense -- or we stopped doing on offense -- to find out how a team could go from looking competent to stagnant over the course of four periods.  Didn't find anything.  The Bears did the same stuff all game ... we did the same stuff all game ... but an unfortunate mix of poor plays, bad decisions and puzzling playcalls handed this team the first head-scratching loss of the 2008 season.

But you knew that already, in general terms, so let's talk specifics.

- - - - - -

The Bears' offense did three things early to try to throw the Eagles off balance:

1. They went no huddle;
2. They used fake snap counts to get our back seven to tip their hands on blitzes; and,
3. They used formations and personnel packages to try to isolate our linebackers in coverage.

Point #1 is the simplest.  If you go without a huddle, the defense doesn't have time to make substitutions.  That keeps the base defense on the field and also gives less time for the coaches to get their fancy blitz packages in.

Point #2 seemed to get us all game.  Orton would go to the line, bark out an extended hard count, watch how our guys moved around, then adjust playcalls accordingly.  On several occasions -- though not every time -- this paid off, as the new play neatly avoided the pressure we were bringing.  I wondered both last night and again tonight why we don't do a better job checking out of those blitzes once we tip our hand.  (And also if we could be slightly better at, you know, not tipping our hand.)

Point #3 is a little more involved.  Early in the game, the Eagles were flipping the cornerback when the Bears went to a twins formation (putting both cornerbacks on the same side as the two receivers).  I don't remember seeing Johnson do this much in the past, but it has the advantage of putting your two best cover guys in the vicinity of the opponent's two best receivers.  I'm guessing the thinking was avoiding an LB on Hester match-up.

The problem is that the Bears were using those guys basically as decoys.  They lined up two tight ends on the other side, with those guys being the primary target on the play.  That put an athletic tight end like Greg Olsen on an unproven pass defender on Chris Gocong, and is exactly what caused the first touchdown.  Olsen ran a little wheel route (out to the flat then upfield) and Gocong was left well behind. 

The Bears stayed with this look -- hitting on it a couple more times -- until their possession that started at 11:40 in the second quarter.  On first-and-10 from the Philly 47, they came out in that same look, the Eagles didn't flip the corner, and Orton called a timeout after checking out the coverage.  I'm guessing that the change is what got him.

- - - - - -

Also on that Olsen touchdown, that was a catch, guys.  The ball may have moved a millimeter in his hands as he brought it in, but he clearly had control while the first foot was down.  As a football fan, I'd be disappointed to see some kind of hyperlegalistic review that took that away.

- - - - - -

Speaking of hyperlegalistic reviews, please explain to me why this:

Draws an illegal formation penalty while this:

 

Is perfectly fine?

They're lined up the exact same way in both shots.  But somehow, the officials thought the first formation was illegal while the second one was just peachy.  (For your viewing convenience, I've highlighted the douchebag ref who called the penalty that cost us the roughing the passer call in the first picture.)

- - - - - -

Now, I understand you may say that you prefer hyper-legalistic officiating that gets in the way of the game on the field.  You're in favor of those kinds of weak sauce calls.

Ok great, but then where was Mr. Call Everything On Special Teams during the only big Devin Hester return of the night:

Look, I don't know if he would have made the play or not.  And it's not like the Bears' anemic offense scored on this drive anyway.  I'm just tired of our special teams getting called for stuff all the time that I see opponents getting away with. 

Both ways, ref, both ways.

- - - - - -

While we're on the topic of whiny ref complaints, didja notice that Lance Briggs managed to plant vicious helmet-to-helmet hits on both Buckhalter and Booker in this game?  Did you also notice that no flags were thrown either time?  (Totally defensible.)  Did you also notice that Madden and Michaels neglected to mention on both occasions that the hits, while aesthetically pleasing, were both somewhat at odds with "the emphasis that [the commissioner's] office has placed on developing and enforcing rules designed to protect players from injury, including concussions." (Not defensible.)

No fine came last week on the H2H hit that gave Hunt his concussion.  That was a fair decision, in my mind, due to the way in which Hunt somewhat lowered his shoulder to take on the blow.  Briggs, however, should be a little lighter in the wallet this time next week.

- - - - - -

A couple weeks ago in the Cowboys video rewind, I questioned why Brodrick Bunkley wasn't making more disruptive plays.  He seemed fine holding his ground, but wasn't doing anything beyond that.

Two weeks later, I think we have our answer:  it wasn't Bunk -- Cowboys center Andre Gurode is just really, really good. 

I've watched Bunkley very closely the past couple weeks.  The guy's been making plays all over the place.  Against Chicago, he was frequently matched up against center Olin Kreutz, who by reputation is one of the better centers in the league.  Bunk whipped him.  Not every time and not in every situation, but enough to confirm the Pittsburgh observations.  I take it back, Bunk.  Keep doing your thing.

- - - - - -

Given that a talented offensive skill position player would have been helpful to have on hand on Sunday night, the tackle combo of Patterson and Bunkley is still just really a pleasure to watch.  Let's get Bunk locked up to his long-term deal so we can enjoy these guys working together for the next 10 years.

- - - - - -

Which is why it was so %@#!$ surprising to see both of those players on the sideline for the most important defensive snap of the game. 

I'm not kidding.  Fourth quarter, 2:43 on the clock, only one timeout left for the good guys, Bears bring in three receivers so we respond by bringing in our entire nickel personnel package.  Not just an extra corner.  Not another safety.  The whole shebang.

Which means, ladies and gentlemen, the play of the game is upon us and the Eagles roll out Darren Howard and Dan Klecko in the middle of their line and as a bonus leave a safety back deep, only putting seven men in the box. 

The Bears ran for 10 yards.

Of all the boneheaded coaching decisions in this game, that might have been the boneheadedest.  Of COURSE they're not going to pass.  They're the friggin Bears.  And if they do, heck, it's gonna be quick, knock it down and save a timeout. 

No.  We bring in the lightbutts, who promptly get shoved out of the way.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhh.

- - - - - -

Second place:  why did we not challenge this:

His elbow was clearly down.  And don't tell me you need the video to be sure.  This may even be a couple of frames after he hit the ground, but I wanted to bend over backwards to be fair.

Note the down and distance.  That's potentially a four-point play right there.  What a coincidence.

- - - - - -

The guy making that tackle is Omar Gaither.  I thought Omar was a little tentative to start the year.  It probably didn't help that he was coming out so often for Sean Considine (that would kill anyone's confidence).  But he really seemed to be playing downhill in this game.  He posted nine solo tackles in this game and made a handful of plays, defined as doing more than just catching the guy when he gets to you.

I was really impressed with Gaither in this game.  I think he played the best of all the linebackers.  And I'm not just saying that for reasons that will become apparent tomorrow.

- - - - - -

Other defensive notes:

• Dan Klecko's first-quarter sack came on something of a weird play.  RT John Tait blocked him for a two-count, then passed him outside to the tight end, even though no one was rushing up the middle and the tight end already had his hands full.  Strange read by Tait.
• The route that victimized Quintin Mikell for the touchdown was the same one (fake corner, then post) that DeSean Jackson used to get open for his first NFL touchdown.
• Also, Q slipped on that play.  That's not a good thing, obviously, but he wasn't straight up beaten.  Coverage was pretty good other than the slip.
• We're a very screenable defense.  That surely goes with being so young.
• Cole showed a nice inside-outside move in that third-quarter sack/fumble the offense miraculously managed to turn into three points.
• When Mikell made that third-quarter interception in the endzone, I loved seeing Bradley and Dawk immediately telling him to stay down.  I hate when guys make picks and then bring it out to the seven yard line, thus killing the momentum of the play.

- - - - - -

For the offense, is it cool if we just pretend that game never happened?  That this once-mighty scoring attack did not, in fact, start possessions at the Bears' 41, 35, 28, and 31 yard lines with only six points to show for it?

No, you want breakdowns.  Pushy readers.  Onward.

- - - - - -

Chicago safety Mike Brown is a better player than I realized.  On the Eagles' first play of their second drive, he came flying out of the secondary to hold Buck to a two-yard gain when everyone else was blocked up.  (It may have helped his play recognition, however, that this was the play where Herremans false-started by pulling outside Thomas, so the Eagles decided to huddle up and run the exact same play to the other side.  Tricky.)

Brown also ended the Eagles two-minute drill at the end of the second quarter by coming all the way across the field to drop Jackson for a short gain after he ran an underneath route with two other receivers running off all the coverage.  Serious range displayed there.

Brown was also responsible for separating Schobel from the ball down by the goal line on the Eagles first touchdown drive.  I could probably separate Schobel from the ball though -- Boo! ... drop -- so we won't give him too much credit there.

Closing out this series of Mike Brown plays, if you're a football geek and plan to re-watch the game, compare the running play described above to the first running play of the second half.  Everything else was the same, but this time Brown had walked down into the box away from playside.  He saw things just as quickly, but from down there he didn't have the same angle and got caught up in the trash.  It ended up being a 25 yard gain.  It's just funny that bringing a safety up actually weakened the run defense.

- - - - - -

Continuing the obsession with this play, why has it taken this long to get the guard pull into the running game?  And why are we finally rolling it out now, when the guy that play was basically designed for is still on the bench with back trouble?

- - - - - -

Let's talk about something good instead.  Check out this one route by DeSean Jackson.  Yes, it was zone coverage and the corner has to keep outside leverage, but as you can see pre-snap, there are literally no other receivers on this side of the field, so the cornerback shouldn't be leaving DeSean:

Now watch what he does to that cornerback:

That, folks, is separation.  (And it looked even more impressive before YouTube's crappy compression got to it.)

- - - - - -

Now let's take a quick look at two guys so many people seem to think are just as good as LJ Smith.  Here's a look at the blocking of Brent Celek on a third-and-short play in the middle of the second quarter:

That came just before the missed 50-yarder by Akers.  And yeah, Hunt's block wasn't great either, but it's pretty tough to stop a guy when he can just run right through the massive crease the guy next to you opened up.

As for the other other tight end here's the end-of-game goal line play everyone wants to see:

Yeah, we don't even need the fancy slo-mo stuff on that one. 

Oh, you wanted one more look?  Here ya go:

I don't even know what to say.

- - - - - -

Other offensive notes:

• Madden kept talking about how well McNabb was reading the cover two, which is true, but I continue to be impressed by DeSean Jackson's innate understanding of exactly where to be against that defense.  He and McNabb have great chemistry on that throw to the sideline hole.
• McNabb flashed some nice ball-handling skills on those end arounds to Jackson.  I know, I know, you just want him to work on handoffs...
• Buck doesn't really have that great running back vision.  One cut, hit the hole and go.  He's a great change of pace, but there are some plays he's just not suited for, like that shotgun draw we've been running so well with Westbrook.  Buckhalter completely ignored his blocking on that play when they ran it with him, even though it was definitely there playside. 
• As my brother pointed out, it must be killing Tony Hunt to see all this potential running back playing time going to someone not nominally a fullback.  
• By the way, on the season it's Tony Hunt -- 5 receptions, 40 yards.  Lorenzo Booker -- 5 receptions, 10 yards.  Sure glad we brought in the home run threat.
• Finally, I'm all in favor of the mix-and-match "package" thing while we're waiting for Curtis to get healthy, but why on earth would we ever put out a two-receiver package that includes Greg Lewis?  Aren't there like three guys who'd be better choices to put across from Reggie Brown?  Or at least one?

Comments

[BkEagle]

Thank you for giving Eagles fans a site with a bevy of Eagles related material. Must commend for you consistent GREAT work on the video rewind. I know that it is not always possible but it was awesome to see the video rewind this early in the week, when the game is still fresh (the time when a fan is either wallowing in defeat or rejoicing in victory) and one hasn't fully immersed himself into the teams following game.
Now on to the Sunday night debacle
This game reminded me of that Green Bay game from last year. The eagles lost that game because the personnel guys failed to properly address a crucial position namely the punt return position. This year they failed to properly address the fullback position. 3rd and 1 ball on the Bears 33 and Buckhalter is the only guy in the backfield. Eagles run a Halfback dive play and come up way short. Maybe if the Birds had a REAL FULLBACK and let him be the lead blocker for Buckhalter on that play they gain the 1 yard and more. That occurred in the 2nd quarter now déjà vu time in the 4th quarter when the Eagles get 3 cracks from inside the Bears 1 yard line and fail to score a touchdown. There again we saw how the lack of a REAL FULLBACK hurt the Eagles. Also having a big running back (about 260 lbs.) won’t hurt, not to supplant Westbrook or Buckhalter, but just a guy who will be automatic or close to automatic on those 3rd and short plays. An added benefit of having such a big running back is that he can soften up the opposing team’s defense. This would only make things easier for the skill position guys.
When the passing game is working this type of oversight by the Eagles personnel people is obscured. Sunday night with Westbrook, Sean Andrews and L.J Smith out it was clearly evident.

[Pat]

Are you sure the linemen aren't lined up too far off the line in the first set? They definitely look closer to the line in the second shot.

Are there really people who think that Schobel is as good as LJ? Really? Schobel has been the most overpaid player on the Eagles roster for 2+ years now, and that takes *effort*.

And all you really need to see in that final 4th down play is Schobel standing in the end zone, arms spread, without a Bear within 2 yards of him. It's like you can see the "Wait... what am I doing?" cross his mind.

"Maybe if the Birds had a REAL FULLBACK and let him be the lead blocker for Buckhalter on that play they gain the 1 yard and more."

Dan Klecko was the fullback on the 4th and 1 play. You know. The guy who was a REAL FULLBACK for two Super Bowl teams. And on that play, he absolutely stoned Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher.

The problem on that play was all Matt Schobel.

For the record, Schobel doesn't make much above the veteran minimum. You can argue that he is worthless and therefore it is 100% theft, but he doesn't really make all that much.

Nobody thinks Schobel is as good as Smith. People think the difference between Celek and Smith is immaterial.

One interesting thing on the 4th and 1 play is that Reid said the biggest problem was on the right side, which did crater on the play, and theoretically forced Buckhalter more to the left than he wanted to be (or at least, that must be Reid's argument). Probably Reid trying to shelter Schobel from being tarred and feathered, but worth looking at.

[Eric]

I was definitely screaming at the TV at the officials on that ball placement for Forte. Then I was yelling at Andy for not challenging. How the ref gave him an extra yard and a half is really puzzling.

To be honest, I have Sunday Ticket, and I try to catch at least 5 or 6 games during the day. The officiating this year in most games I've seen has been horrible.

[Dawk Holliday]

For the illegal punt formation, I think it may be that neither of the gunners were lined up on the line of scrimmage. In the second shot the gunner at the bottom is up on the line while the one at the top is not.

[BFH]

Re: Greg Lewis --

There was a play early in the game where Lewis had a stop and go down the right sideline.

McNabb made a perfect back shoulder throw, the kind of throw you make because the DB has no idea where the ball is and the receiver can stop his run and catch the ball right in front of the DB.

But Lewis has absolutely no strength or physical ability to make the play, and the ball just sailed out of bounds. It was sad to watch, actually. Lewis knew what he was supposed to be doing, he just couldn't do it. And the play was there for the making.

And that's why Greg Lewis has no business lining up on the outside.

[shlynch]

On the illegal formation, it does look possible that the RT in the first formation is too far off of the line of scrimmage. You just can't tell from the shot. But barring that, the split ends are clearly further forward than the guards or tackles, so they must be on the line, and the left side of the line appears to be plenty close. Not sure what else could have triggered the call.

***

With respect to the goal line play, Celek got trucked on the right side. Klecko then gut engulfed by the same guy. To the extent that Klecko is supposed to be the lead blocker, it sure seems like the play was designed to go to the right side of the line, but got rerouted. Had the play flow followed design, perhaps Schobel's missed block wouldn't have mattered. That isn't to absolve Schobel, but rather is meant to try to understand AR's comments yesterday.

[Derek]

On the formation penalty: I agree there may be six inches difference between the two shots. I blame that, as mentioned, on the special teams coaching staffs. However, it's still a lame call for something that's immaterial to the game.

On needing a real fullback: Right there with you. Although that doesn't absolve the other guys of the need to block.

On the goal line play: It's certainly true that the right side of the line got stacked up. But Buckhalter would EASILY have scored anyway if he hadn't gotten absolutely killed by the guy Matt Schobel didn't block. Whatever Schobel's actual responsibilities on that play, at least chipping the only guy standing anywhere near him was a complete no-brainer.

On Greg Lewis: Yep, that play you described is the one I was talking about. Frustrating.

[Brandon]

On the 4th and goal, Schobel missed so badly that the Bears cornerback actually backs up thinking it MUST be a rollout to his side with Schobel in the endzone.

Then I started thinking, if that had been the playcall (hindsight 20/20), we would have McNabb rolling to his left with just a cornerback to stop both him and the short toss to Schobel (though I guess Schobel might have dropped it).

[Steve]

Question: Have you figured out why the roughing the kicker call against CHI offset against the illegal formation when, as you pointed out in a prior post, in the Steelers game it did not?

[Eric]

I'm not sure I remember an example in the Steelers game, but the one example people bring up is the penalty against the Cowboys. In that case the player false started and Cole committed a personal foul. Once the false start occurs, the play is dead.

So Cole's penalty came after a dead ball, whereas, the roughing the kicker penalty happened during the play of an illegal formation.

It seems rather stupid to call a personal foul on a play where a guy false started to cause the personal foul, but Cole also shouldn't be putting his hands up in a person's face.

[Derek]

The dead ball explanation sounds plausible, but the rulebook is entirely unclear on this point.

Rule 14-3-1

"Exceptions: If one of the fouls is of a nature that incurs a 15-yard penalty and the other foul of a double foul normally would result in a loss of 5 yards _only_ (15 yards versus 5 yards), the major penalty yardage is to be assessed from the previous spot."

[Derek]

That sounds pretty much exactly like what happened here.

[BKEagles]

"Dan Klecko was the fullback on the 4th and 1 play. You know. The guy who was a REAL FULLBACK for two Super Bowl teams. And on that play, he absolutely stoned Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher.

The problem on that play was all Matt Schobel."

I'm not saying that Schobel did great down there on the goal line. Klecko is only in for the goal line package. What if the Eagles had a REAL FULLBACK for their other heavy running packages, case in point the 3rd and 1 in the 2nd quarter.
Also remember guys Klecko was brought in during the offseason, to compete for a job at the fullback position, and possibly be the teams' starting fullback. It is obvious that did not work out as the Eagles expected, remember Jeremy Bloom anyone. Maybe Klecko is not suited to play fullback in the Eagles system which is different from New England's system. Klecko is now primarily used as a defensive tackle on the defensive side of the ball and the Eagles still have the need for a REAL FULLBACK.

[idiotbox]

Just gotta say I appreciate your analysis, as always. You really deserve your own show. Breaking down football with intelligence rather than sensationalism or emotion. I mean, we all feel bad after a loss, but there's no reason to jump off a bridge about it. That's why I don't listen to the funeral at WIP anymore. Glad I found your site and I just hope than one day you'll get rewarded for your work. Seriously, you could supplant anybody in the mainstream media. There is a real need for what you do. Keep it up. I'll keep reading.

[shlynch]

So apparently someone on the EMB wrote to Ed Hochuli and got a response on the rule. (http://boards.philadelphiaeagles.com/index.php?act=findpost&pid=11476106)

The response is as follows:

"That is an excellent observation on your part, Darren. Frankly, I'm really surprised that you noticed. The NFL rules are very complicated -- far more so than high school or college rules. This particular rule is called the "5 /15" rule. It's really quite complex, but basically the rule is that when there is a 5 yard penalty by one team and a 15 yard penalty by the other team, the 15 yard penalty is enforced, and the five-year penalty is declined by rule (that's what they meant by "superseded"). Therefore, in the Dallas game, a 15 yard penalty was enforced, and the five-year penalty was declined.

There are two exceptions to the 5/15 rule. The first is that if there is a change of possession on the play, the rule does not apply, and the two penalties offset. That's the reason that the penalties offset and the down was replayed in the Bears game. (The definition of "change of possession" gets very complicated on field goals, punts, kickoffs, and fourth-down plays on which the offense does not reach the line to gain, but I won't go into that here).

The other exception to the 5/15 rule is what's called a "clean hands score." If the defense commits a 5 yard penalty, and the offense scores with clean hands and then commits a personal foul after they've scored, the five-yard penalty is declined, and the 15 yard penalty is enforced in the kickoff. So for example, if the defense lines up offside, and the offense runs for a touchdown and then after the score, the offense commits a 15 yard penalty like taunting -- the five-yard penalty is declined, and the offense kicks off from their own 15 yard line.

I hope that makes some sense. I seldom go into that much detail with people about the rules, because as I said, they are extremely complicated, and for just about everything I say, there are always exceptions. However, your question so surprised me because very few people would even notice, that I thought I'd give you a more in-depth answer.

All my best"

[johnnyshaka]

Great job on the rewind...as usual.

We've had a short yardage running issue for years now...not sure why we think having a "real" FB will help. We're a passing team...do what you do best...especially when it matters most. Four downs from the 2 yard line and we don't even try to move McNabb out of the pocket...we don't even try that fade to Baskett we saw throughout training camp...at least get them thinking we might pass.

[Eric]

It's funny he thinks no one would notice when 90% of Eagles' fans I know questioned the call.

I even questioned a call last year in a game where the Saints had a bad snap that was picked up by McAllister or Bush and run in for a TD where, in the same play against the Bears a year prior, the Bears were flagged for a false start when Considine had an open field TD from a recovery.

One was called and one was not. The officials admitted they blew the Saints call and got the Eagle v Bear game one right.

This rule has been changed, however. 2 years late for the Eagles.

[Eric]

I think I may be confused on the games, but whatever. My point is still valid.

[Derek]

Wow, that Hochuli response is awesome.

Here's my problem with that rule -- and I now see the specific explanation a little further down in the rulebook -- why does it make any sense? The change of possession hasn't actually occurred yet because the ball is in the air at the time of the second foul. I can understand if one foul was pre-possession and one foul was post-, but in this case, both happened before the punt.

For instance, if you'd had the exact same thing we saw with Cole -- false start on the punt team, then the guy gets trucked -- then the penalty WOULD have been enforced. But because the offsetting penalty happened two seconds later -- but before change of possession -- in this case it's a wave off. That's inconsistent.

I'm tired of the Eagles being on the hose end of bizarre rules that should be -- and in some cases actually are - changed.

[BKEagle]

RE "We've had a short yardage running issue for years now...not sure why we think having a "real" FB will help. We're a passing team...do what you do best...especially when it matters most. Four downs from the 2 yard line and we don't even try to move McNabb out of the pocket...we don't even try that fade to Baskett we saw throughout training camp...at least get them thinking we might pass."

It's also the reason why the Eagles have not won a Superbowl. Look at New England last year a passing attack 18-0 but could not win that last game. For a better reference look at the last 10 teams that have won the Superbowl and you will notice a common thread. It's not all about the pass you need a running game to compliment the passing attack. A fullback can help the running game tremendously. A la Lorenzo Neal and LT when they were together. I rest my case.

[Colin]

Great review Derek. As Andy would say, "Derek did a nice job there."

Did you notice what happened on the Hester TD? It looked like Asante either slipped, got a subtle push in the back from Hester, or both. When the ball went up and Asante was one on one with Hester, I expected Asante would come down with the ball.

Not an excuse for losing, but Birds' defenders slipping on the terrible field conditions is yet another frustrating aspect of that game. Especially when the Bears score two touchdowns on those plays.

[Derek]

I watched it like 20 times, but no good angle. It indeed looked -- as much as you could see -- like Hester gave him a little push and that caused him to stumble, but really, it was incidental and the biggest problem is that Kyle Orton simply made the throw of his life.

[Colin_K]

I think Derek mentioned earlier that they didn't run a sneak on any of the 4 downs out of fear of 5 re-injuring his chest. But watch the replay of 4th down, qb sneak between Jackson and Herremans. They were both 2 yards deep in the endzone a second after the snap. That should have been the call. 20/20 I know...but taking the time to snap, take a few steps and handoff surely allowed the edge players to collapse the line, Schoebel's phantom block included.

[Colin_K]

I meant to say "qb sneak between Jackson and Herremans should have been the call."

[Pat]

This...

"It's also the reason why the Eagles have not won a Superbowl."

followed by this...

"A fullback can help the running game tremendously. A la Lorenzo Neal and LT when they were together."

Because, y'know, the Chargers. They won tons of Super Bowls. Three or four, I think.

Come on. There is no "reason why the Eagles have not won a Super Bowl." It's a game. It's skill, talent, and a lot of luck. Be frustrated when they lose, but don't pull *#!* out of nowhere to explain random occurances.

[Pat]

"For the record, Schobel doesn't make much above the veteran minimum. You can argue that he is worthless and therefore it is 100% theft, but he doesn't really make all that much."

Schobel makes about twice as much as the vet minimum for a vet with his experience. His first year here, he made nearly $2M. LJ Smith made something like $400K.

He doesn't make "all that much," but he's overpaid by at least a factor of two. Probably more.

[jd]

if westbrook is out, we need to use hunt more on passing routes. he's got surprisingly good hands this year, and can block much more effectively than booker.

as for the above play that should have been reviewed, at penn state we call that the "big ten spot", with reference to the michigan game in 2005.

[shlynch]

The veteran minimum salary for a guy with 6 credited seasons is $605K. Schobel makes $850K this year. So he is "overpaid" by no more than $245K. If you talk about prorated cap hits, then he is $372K overpaid this year.

I would hazard a guess that in either case, you can find more overpaid players on the Eagles this year. See Darren Howard, who has about the same cap hit as Trent Cole ($3.2mm) and is getting $2.5 million in base salary. Or Chris Clemons who got $4.7 million in cash this year, or nearly as much as Schobel will make over his entire 5 year deal.

[johnnyshaka]

"It's also the reason why the Eagles have not won a Superbowl. Look at New England last year a passing attack 18-0 but could not win that last game. For a better reference look at the last 10 teams that have won the Superbowl and you will notice a common thread. It's not all about the pass you need a running game to compliment the passing attack."

Hey, have a look at who led the '07 playoffs in rushing yards. I'll give you a hint, he played for that 18-0 team.

[Pat]

"The veteran minimum salary for a guy with 6 credited seasons is $605K. Schobel makes $850K this year. So he is "overpaid" by no more than $245K."

Nah - a 6-year vet wouldn't screw up a block like that. I'll stick by the "worthless" part, and say he's overpaid by a full $850K.

I won't give you Howard, because that's about what a veteran DE/DT hybrid like Howard should be paid. Cole is underpaid.

I'll give you Clemons, though.

[Pat]

Reid's comments during his press conference today suggest that my comment above is right: I think the tackles are lined up too far back from center in the first shot. They're a bit closer in the second.

[shlynch]

I think the most telling part of that between the two shots is that in the second shot, the players' helmets are in a straight line. In the first one, they are not. It was also interesting that Reid pointed out that they had been warned by officials that they would be sticklers on that sort of thing. So regardless of whether you consider it ticky-tack or not, they had been told that officials would be focused on that call.

[Derek]

I'm just looking forward to the day the refs decide to become sticklers on holding penalties against Trent Cole.

[Derek]

I'm just looking forward to the day the refs decide to become sticklers on holding penalties against Trent Cole.

[EaglefaninDC]

On the short yardage plays, I noticed that the Eagles running backs seem to lining up 6 - 8 yards off the ball. This is great for your usual first-and-ten running attack, but on short yardage plays, when the lineman have closed up the gaps, shortening the field for defenders coming off the edge, isn't it usual for the backs to shorten their set to 3 yards off the ball?