This was an extremely disappointing defensive efficiency, not as a result of the Chicago Bears have a nasty offense, however as a result of the Philadelphia Eagles appeared unprepared. You might sense the emotional and bodily fatigue of enjoying two massive-snap video games in six days, together with 47 first-half snaps! Chicago ran for 281 yards, and it didn’t really feel like fluke manufacturing. Watching the Bears’ run sport in comparison with the Eagles’ felt like evaluating two totally different sports activities.
Protection
The Bears’ run scheme had the Eagles in absolute suits from the primary drive. Chicago used shifts and motions masterfully, continually pulling defenders out of the field. DJ Moore motioned throughout the formation and pulled Jalyx Hunt fully out of the run match. Jalen Carter was worn out of the play by the double staff, leaving an enormous hole on the bottom. Fangio’s spacing between the defensive sort out and edge was broad all sport, and Chicago focused it relentlessly. This wasn’t simply shedding one-on-ones.
That is so good from the Bears. They use the tight finish movement to execute a wham block on the defensive sort out. Carter is once more moved with ease, Nakobe Dean’s eyes are a multitude, Reed Blankenship runs himself out of the play following window dressing, and Sydney Brown misses a easy open-field sort out. These aren’t remoted losses. That is the byproduct of an offense that used formation shifts, movement, and misdirection to place the Eagles into defensive seems to be they couldn’t deal with. The Bears repeatedly constructed formations that created higher angles and simpler assignments for his or her blockers, and the Eagles’ second-level defenders had no solutions for it. It was a battering upfront.
The Bears create a huge lane as a result of Cooper DeJean has no thought what he’s seeing, and Nakobe Dean runs with the tight finish as if it’s play-action. Nobody fills the hole. The Bears’ formation shifts and fast motions stored the Eagles reacting as a substitute of enjoying quick. That is what a run sport with precise sequencing seems to be like. In comparison with the Eagles’ personal run sport, it appeared infantile as compared. The Bears’ system is constructed to emphasize defenders mentally, whereas the Eagles’ is constructed to hope somebody wins a block. Chicago repeatedly made the Eagles look gradual, confused, and out-leveraged. Sorry, I’ll cease moaning in regards to the offense once more. Nevertheless it was onerous to not evaluate the 2 run video games!
Dean really makes the sort out right here, however look how straightforward that is. Each Eagles linebacker and security stepped the fallacious manner no less than as soon as per drive. Chicago dominated the road of scrimmage, however extra importantly, their employees put them in place to succeed through the use of creativity, formation range, and movement to assault each structural weak spot in Fangio’s run suits.
I not often criticize Fangio, however I do suppose he generally is a bit cussed together with his run suits. He’s so wedded to the two-high strategy that I feel he can at instances refuse to alter. Fangio sat in gentle containers far too typically. Right here, towards 12 personnel with the receiver tightened down, the Eagles keep in two-high with two off-ball linebackers. That’s inviting the Bears to run. The Eagles not often, if ever, play with three true linebackers, however with Jihaad Campbell not enjoying a single snap, and the protection getting hammered, it’s stunning they didn’t attempt something new. Among the particular person performances have been genuinely poor (Byron Younger was borderline unplayable), however the teaching didn’t assist them. The protection had no numbers benefit, no leverage assist, and no schematic counterpunch to what the Bears have been doing on offense.
The Bears’ movement repeatedly compelled the Eagles’ safeties to go off duties, which created speedy backward motion on the snap. Blankenship runs backwards, which removes him from the run match totally. Dean is rooted to the bottom, unable to belief something he’s seeing by this level. He’s been wonderful since returning, however on this sport, his eyes betrayed him. He was misplaced. And as soon as once more, Ojomo is wrecked by a double staff. Chicago’s sport plan repeatedly eliminated second-level defenders from the image, giving the backs free entry to the road. I might have posted much more clips than I did. The Eagles have been in all kinds of bother towards the run.
What precisely was Jalen Carter requested to do right here? He had an odd sport. Twice on this sport, it appeared like he was freelancing, or being instructed to get instantly upfield to forestall the bootleg, however the consequence was even greater gaps. This hole between the EDGE and DT was enormous all sport. You can not go away gaps this massive in goal-line conditions. 4 defensive tackles on the sphere, and the Bears nonetheless ran untouched into the top zone. That’s not a very good look.
That is how a dominant run sport simplifies the whole lot else. The Bears’ passing sport was dangerous all day, however as a result of the Eagles have been scared of the run, each defensive again flew downhill the second a backfield motion occurred. Right here, somebody blows the protection on the tight finish (I think about it’s Sydney Brown, however I can’t make certain), however the run sport compelled the DBs into panic mode. When linebackers and safeties are this burdened, the passing sport turns into simpler. That is precisely what the Eagles now not do to opponents. They don’t stress run suits, they don’t create concern, they don’t construct off their very own tendencies. Chicago did all of that, and this play exhibits the ripple impact of what they do on offense. The Eagles’ passing assault would immediately enhance if they might run the ball like this.
Let’s finish with one shiny spot: Jalyx Hunt’s interception. It’s a terrific play, and it’s turning into a sample now. Hunt has generated a number of splash performs this season, and none of them really feel fortunate. He’s explosive, he’s rangy, and he has actual ball abilities. On a day the place the whole lot else appeared chaotic, gradual, and confused, Hunt was one of many solely defenders who persistently appeared fairly good on the day. This might have been a game-changing play if Jalen Hurts hadn’t fumbled after, and possibly we’d be having a distinct dialog in regards to the protection if that’s the case.
Remaining Ideas
The Eagles’ protection seems to be exhausted, each mentally and bodily. They’ve performed monumental snap counts two weeks in a row. They’ve misplaced some key defenders within the secondary at instances. I discovered the rotation a bit bit. Jihaad Campbell didn’t play a single snap in a sport the place the protection wanted recent legs. Jalen Carter is enjoying a ton of snaps and getting moved off the ball. This was a nasty sport. It was a structural mismatch towards a run sport that was too good for them on the day. I fear a bit that the protection will proceed to bend and ultimately break below the load of the offense’s struggles. I’m glad they’ve extra relaxation this week. They appear to be they want it.
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