Blog Archives

How Eagles’ Current Pieces Fit In 3-4, 4-3 Under

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Sheil Kapadia — No Comments ↓

Howie Roseman believes the Eagles have some pieces in place to transition to a new defensive scheme – one that will not include Cullen Jenkins or Mike Patterson.

As for the details, there’s not a whole lot we know right now. We know Chip Kelly prefers a 3-4. We know defensive coordinator Billy Davis has a background in multiple schemes, including the 4-3 under. Having spoken to Davis and some of the other assistants, I got the impression that pre-snap disguise is going to be a big part of whatever the Eagles do.

As we look ahead to free agency (March 12) and the draft (April 25), now seems like a good time to take stock of the Eagles’ defensive linemen to see how they might fit going forward.

Tagged with: Antonio Dixon, Billy Davis, Brandon Graham, Cedric Thornton, Chip Kelly, Fletcher Cox, Howie Roseman, Phillip Hunt, Sheil Kapadia, Trent Cole, Vinny Curry
Posted in Featured

Billy Davis, the ‘Predator’ And the 4-3 Under

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Sheil Kapadia — No Comments ↓

Using some All-22 shots, we dive into scheme possibilities for new Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis. Which pieces on the current roster fit the plan going forward?

Tagged with: Billy Davis, Brandon Graham, Chip Kelly, Cullen Jenkins, DeMeco Ryans, Fletcher Cox, Mychal Kendricks, Trent Cole, Vinny Curry
Posted in All-22

Eagles DL Production: Checking In On Graham, Curry

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Sheil Kapadia — No Comments ↓

Coming off an outstanding performance in Week 15 against the Bengals, the Eagles’ defensive line was not nearly as impressive Sunday afternoon against the Redskins

The D-Line failed to sack Robert Griffin III, although the Eagles certainly pressured him at times. Alfred Morris had 91 yards rushing, but he needed 22 carries (4.1 YPC).

Once again, the defense got no help from the other two phases. Washington’s five scoring drives started at its own 28, its own 41, its own 47, midfield and the Eagles’ 25. This is nothing new. Opponents have dominated the Birds in terms of field position all year long.

Focusing back on the pass-rush, here’s a look at opportunities (from Pro Football Focus), sacks, hurries (as tracked by the coaching staff) and pressure percentage (frequency with which each player notched a sack or hurry).

Tagged with: Brandon Graham, Cedric Thornton, Cullen Jenkins, Derek Landri, Fletcher Cox, Phillip Hunt, Sheil Kapadia, Trent Cole, Vinny Curry
Posted in Game Reviews

Eagles Snap Counts: McCoy Gets Full Workload

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Sheil Kapadia — No Comments ↓

Here’s a look at Eagles snap counts from Sunday’s loss to the Redskins. We’ll go position-by-position.

So much for easing LeSean McCoy back in. The Eagles running back had not played since Nov. 18 (concussion), but he had an even higher percentage of snaps than usual (84 percent).… Read More

Tagged with: Brandon Graham, Bryce Brown, LeSean McCoy, Sheil Kapadia, Trent Cole
Posted in Eagles Snap Counts

Cheat Sheet: 15 Things About Eagles-Redskins

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Sheil Kapadia — No Comments ↓

From draft positioning to Brandon Graham’s performance, here are 15 things to know about the Eagles’ Week 16 matchup against the Redskins.

Tagged with: Brandon Graham, Brent Celek, Bryce Brown, Colt Anderson, Dallas Reynolds, DeMeco Ryans, Dennis Kelly, Fletcher Cox, Jeremy Shockey, LeSean McCoy, Mychal Kendricks, Nick Foles, Sheil Kapadia, Trent Cole
Posted in Preview

All-22: How the Eagles Got Their Pass-Rush Going

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Sheil Kapadia — No Comments ↓

Through the first 13 games, the Eagles’ defensive line had accounted for 20 sacks, or about 1.5 per contest.

Against the Bengals, Tommy Brasher’s groupsacked Andy Dalton six times and kept him uncomfortable all game long (13-for-27 for 127 yards). So what was different about the performance of the defensive line this time around? Here’s a look at all six sacks, using the All-22 shots.

Tagged with: Brandon Graham, Cullen Jenkins, Fletcher Cox, Sheil Kapadia, Todd Bowles, Trent Cole
Posted in All-22

Eagles DL Production: Cox, Cole And Graham In 2013?

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Sheil Kapadia — No Comments ↓

The Eagles’ defensive line turned in its best performance of the season Thursday night against the Bengals.

Brandon Graham had a career game. Trent Cole looked like the old Trent Cole. Fletcher Cox continued an impressive rookie campaign. And guys like Cullen Jenkins and Cedric Thornton contributed as well.

In all, the defensive line combined for six sacks and eight hurries. Andy Dalton was under constant pressure and completed just 13 of 27 passes for 127 yards.

In a future post, we’ll break out the All-22 and look at why the Eagles defensive line was successful. But first, the player-by-player breakdown.

Tagged with: Brandon Graham, Cedric Thornton, Cullen Jenkins, Darryl Tapp, Derek Landri, Fletcher Cox, Phillip Hunt, Sheil Kapadia, Trent Cole
Posted in Game Reviews

Eagles Wake-Up Call: The Graham/Pierre-Paul Comparison

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Sheil Kapadia — No Comments ↓

It’s pretty much impossible to have a discussion about Brandon Graham in this city without mentioning Jason Pierre-Paul.

You know the story by now, but just in case you didn’t start following football until 20 minutes ago: The Eagles traded up to the 13th spot in the first round in 2010 to draft Graham. The Giants took Pierre-Paul two spots later. Pierre-Paul was a first-team All-Pro last year with 16.5 sacks and has a Super Bowl ring. Graham has been fighting for playing time and has yet to play in a postseason game.

But as Tim detailed yesterday, Graham is coming on strong. He has four sacks in four games since replacing Jason Babin as the starter at left defensive end. Against Cincinnati, Graham turned in a 2.5-sack performance that included a forced fumble.

A reader recently e-mailed me, asking for a Graham/Pierre-Paul comparison. Initially, I thought that would be a silly exercise, but after the crunching the numbers, I came away surprised.

Tagged with: Brandon Graham, Sheil Kapadia
Posted in Wake-Up Call

Eagles Snap Counts: Brasher Tightens DL Rotation

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Sheil Kapadia — No Comments ↓

From Brandon Graham to Vinny Curry to Bryce Brown, here’s a look at snap counts for the Eagles in Thursday night’s loss to the Bengals.

Tagged with: Brandon Graham, Bryce Brown, Clay Harbor, Colt Anderson, Dion Lewis, Fletcher Cox, Riley Cooper, Trent Cole, Vinny Curry
Posted in Eagles Snap Counts

Eagles Wake-Up Call: Graham Breaking Out

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Tim McManus — No Comments ↓

The drought lasted 22 quarters.

From the third quarter of the Saints game on November 5 to the second quarter against the Bengals 37 days later, the Eagles went without a single turnover.

Brandon Graham was the last member of the defense to generate one –jarring the ball loose from Drew Brees in the second half in New Orleans – and was the one who brought the slump mercifully to an end Thursday.

Tagged with: Andy Reid, Brandon Graham, Eagles Wake-Up Call, Nick Foles
Posted in Wake-Up Call