I believe Asante Samuel has been the Eagles Defensive MVP thus far this season.
He leads the NFL in interceptions with 7, has become a more consistent tackler (far from perfect, but a vast improvement over previous years) and has been an intimidating force whenever opposing quarterbacks have looked left this year.
As much as the Eagles fan base is looking for the Birds offense to rebound from the miss opportunities that led to last Sunday’s loss to the Bears, Samuel’s impact may be the deciding factor in tonight’s game.
Asante’s name is rarely affiliated with the word consistent, but that is exactly what the gambling cornerback has been this year, a consistent threat to opposing offenses on each and every snap. In Samuel’s nine appearances this year, the Eagles defense has given up a stingy 199.8 passing yards with a little over 1.5 passing Touchdowns per game. Keep in mind; these statistics include the Kenny Britt-bludgeoning Tennessee loss, in which Samuel had little to do with.
Those aforementioned stats are a far cry from what the defense has done without him in the line-up. In the two games Samuel has missed this year, Philadelphia has allowed a combined seven passing touchdowns. Worst of all they allowed those scores to the San Francisco 49ers’ Alex Smith, who has since been benched, and the Chicago Bears’ Jay Cutler, who has one of the worst touchdown to interception ratios in the league over the past 3 years. Both signal callers are far from elite, however in Samuel’s absence, Smith and Cutler turned in their best games of the season.
If Samuel and his knee can’t go tomorrow night, what will happen when Texans’ QB Matt Schaub, a top 10 quarterback in the league by any standard, takes the field and eyes up CB Joselio Hanson lining up against Andre Johnson, the undisputed top wide receiver in the league? The short answer is 6 points.
Yes, typically Andre Johnson lines up against right cornerbacks far more often than left, so he won’t be affected by Samuel’s availability for the majority of the game, but Samuel’s intangibles are what was missing most from last week. His talent of striking fear into quarterbacks has a shockwave effect and affects the entire field.
Quarterbacks play scared when he’s on his game.
Samuel is a wild card, a freelancer, a gambler. The moment you think you know where he is, is the moment he plucks the ball from the air and takes it the distance the other way. He can be maddening at times, but like all good gamblers, when Samuel is on a hot streak, and there is nothing more dangerous.
Tonight’s game is a nexus point in the 2010-11 season, it is a pivotal situation, that cannot be taken lightly. The Eagles are the favorites in this game against the Texans, the pressure is on, and on top of that they have to deliver on a national stage. If the Birds get number 22 back tonight, it seems likely this ends up a W in the win column.
However the game’s top gambler is still far from a safe bet to suit up.
Doesnt Samuel play LCB? In which case he has been an intimidating force whenever the opposing QB looks to the RIGHT? Unless its some long developing drag/post route.. Just nitpicking.
Get well soon Asante.
Good stuff Andrew..
I still believe the key for the Victory is the Def/Line and the LB play,
they need to get into the backfield and stop RB A Foster before he gets rolling downhill and they need to get pressure on Schaub and make him move around and get him to the groun a few times and not allow him to step up in the pocket or get into a rhythm…
Paul Domowitch: Eagles’ red-zone woes make Reid see red
POSTED: December 2, 2010
By Paul Domowitch
Daily News Sports Columnist
By Paul Domowitch
Philadelphia Daily News
Daily News Sports Columnist
CONSIDERING THAT his defense gave up 31 points to a Bears offense that had been averaging 19, and considering that it managed to make Jay Cutler look like the second coming of Joe Montana, some of you might have been a little taken aback by the fact that Andy Reid spent most of his postgame news conference Sunday bemoaning his offense’s inept performance in the red zone in the Eagles’ 31-26 loss to the Bears.
Some of that, a lot of that, is the fact that Reid is an offensive coach, and like most offensive coaches, he tends to see most games through offensive eyes. Whether the final score is 7-6 or 65-64, he’s usually going to feel that the reason his team lost was because it didn’t score enough points.
He never has felt more strongly about that, though, than this year. With a young, unpredictable defense that leads the league in takeaways, but also has been gashed for 27 or more points five times in 11 games, Reid knows that if the Eagles are going to get to the playoffs this season, his offense is going to have to lead the way.
Which means maximizing every scoring opportunity. Which means a lot more touchdowns and a lot less David Akers.
The Eagles are tied for second in the league in scoring through 11 games. They’re currently averaging 28.2 points per game, which is 4.0 points a game more than they averaged in 2004 when they went to the Super Bowl. They’re on pace to score 451 points this season, which would be a franchise record, but that still might not be enough to get them to the playoffs if Sean McDermott’s defense doesn’t stop playing Santa Claus.
That’s why Reid was so ticked off about his offense’s 1-for-5 red-zone performance Sunday. That’s one of the reasons why he reamed out his star wide receiver, DeSean Jackson, who had two costly red-zone drops, including a would-be touchdown.
“It’s something we need to keep working on and focusing on and get right,” Reid said Tuesday of his team’s red-zone struggles. “You get down there, you need to come away with touchdowns.
“Things happen a little faster down there. So you’ve got to stay focused. You’ve got to have the right plays called. If you’re going to throw the ball, it’s gotta be dart plays that can happen now.”
The Eagles currently are ranked 19th in the league in red-zone offense, which is actually better than last year when they were tied for 23rd, and better than ’08 when they were 22nd and better than ’07 when they were 24th.
Long story short, they haven’t been very good in the red zone for a while now (see chart). Some years it has bothered Reid more than others. Because of the fact that he just doesn’t know what to expect from his defense from week to week this year, and because of the fact that his offense is armed with the best collection of skill-position weapons he’s had since he arrived in Philadelphia, it’s bothering him a lot right now.
The Eagles have managed to score 53 points the last two games despite the fact that they converted just two of 10 red-zone opportunities into touchdowns in those games.
Since converting seven of eight red-zone chances in the first three games of the season, they are 12-for-31 (38.7 percent). In their last three losses, they are 3-for-11 (27.3 percent) inside the 20.
Their biggest problem in the red zone has been the unreliable play of the offensive line. Their second biggest problem has been drops by the receivers.
If the season ended today, there are two plays that would best define this season for the Eagles. The first would be that third-quarter fumble on the 3-yard line in Week 7 against Tennessee when center Mike McGlynn let Titans defensive tackle Jason Jones crash through unblocked and break up a Kevin Kolb handoff to LeSean McCoy.
The second play would be Michael Vick’s deflected interception in the second quarter Sunday at the Chicago 4-yard line. Usually reliable left guard Todd Herremans let defensive tackle Tommie Harris get inside penetration on him. Harris got his left hand on Vick’s pass and it floated into the arms of free safety Chris Harris.
Two squandered red-zone opportunities. Two major momentum swings. Two costly losses.
To their credit, the Eagles’ offensive linemen have been stand-up guys when they’ve screwed up. McGlynn readily admitted his culpability on the fumble in the Tennessee game. Herremans did the same regarding Sunday’s interception.
“The one Tommie tipped, I was off the ball late,” he said.
Then there are the drops. While it didn’t cost them the game, slot receiver Jason Avant, as sure-handed a receiver as there is in the league, had one of those Jackie Smith moments in the second quarter of the Giants game 2 weeks ago. Was wide open in the back of the end zone. Vick put it right in his bread basket, and he dropped it, forcing the Eagles to settle for a field goal.
On the Eagles’ previous possession in that game, Jackson failed to hang on to a pass in the end zone that wasn’t the gimme that Avant’s was, but definitely should have been caught.
Against the Bears, on a first-and-10 at the Chicago 19, Jackson found a soft spot in the zone at the 5-yard line, but dropped the pass from Vick. Later in the game, on a first-and-goal at the Chicago 10, Jackson ran a slant into the end zone, but seemed to pull off the pass when he saw Bears safety Major Wright zeroing in on him.
There were other red-zone gaffes Sunday. On a first-down play from the Chicago 9 in the second quarter, Herremans got beat again, this time by defensive tackle Anthony Adams, who forced Vick to throw the ball away just as not one, but two receivers were coming open in the end zone.
Later in the second quarter, on a third-and-goal at the Chicago 3, Julius Peppers came in completely unblocked and sacked Vick for a 14-yard loss. It wasn’t clear if it was just a poorly designed play by offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg or if fullback Owen Schmit forgot to block him.
On another red-zone opportunity in the fourth quarter, Peppers blew up yet another play when he got inside penetration and deflected a Vick pass on a second-and-goal at the Chicago 7.
“For how good we were in the red zone early in the season, we shouldn’t be having these kinds of mistakes down there that we’ve had the last couple of weeks,” Herremans said. “Whether it’s fundamentals, technique, mental, whatever, we just have to practice on upping the focus [as far as] everybody getting off the ball a little faster, everybody having their assignments down pat.”
Catching the football in the red zone was a point of emphasis by Reid and his coaches this week as they prepared for tonight’s game against the Houston Texans.
“That’s one thing that’s been a problem,” tight end Brent Celek said. “Catching the ball down there. We have to do that. We’ve got to get open and we’ve got to catch the ball.”
Said Avant: “I had an opportunity a couple of weeks ago and didn’t get it done. I had a chance to make a play in the red zone. It could have helped us out and I dropped the ball. But that was a couple of weeks ago. You’ve got to push forward and focus on the next game and the next pass.
“A few weeks ago, we were near the top in the red zone. Now we’re back in the middle of the pack. One good game and we’ll be back in the top 10. So we don’t need to dwell on those things. We know we’ve got to play better. Not just down there, but all over the field.”
That should clear up some of he misinformation being posted on this site.
Allow me to illuminate this sentence:
Their biggest problem in the red zone has been the unreliable play of the offensive line. Their second biggest problem has been drops by the receivers.
Vinnie
That’s for you. LOL!
My pet peeve – Not so much how much we run, but play diversity:
Inside the Eagles: Eagles’ run-pass ratio remains an issue
POSTED: December 2, 2010
By Jeff McLane
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Inside the Eagles: Eagles’ run-pass ratio remains an issue
By Jeff McLane
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Eagles spent the short work week running from practice to meeting back to practice and, well, back to meeting again in the short span between Sunday’s loss to the Bears and Thursday’s game against Houston.
All that scurrying around at the NovaCare Complex was enough to make one think that Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg would formulate a game plan that favors the run.
Guard Todd Herremans , trying to keep Chicago’s Anthony Adams off Michael Vick, said the Eagles tried to establish the run against the Bears but gave up on it early.
Insert obligatory Eagles run-pass ratio joke here.
OK, so Reid and his offensive coordinator are unlikely to serve a steady stream of Power-I against the second-to-worst pass defense in the NFL. The Eagles pass to get ahead and then, only with a comfortable margin, do they attempt to drain the clock and run the football down a defense’s esophagus.
It’s worked pretty well to this point. The Eagles are 7-4 and have the No. 2-ranked offense in the NFL.
But if they fall behind early, as they did against Chicago, then even the best-laid run schemes will go awry. The Eagles actually intended to establish the run on their first two plays from scrimmage against the Bears.
“Coach was like, ‘OK, we’re going to smack them in the mouth,’ ” Eagles guard Todd Herremans said. “But as soon as we came out . . . after that first series and we didn’t get the production that I wanted to on those first two plays I was thinking, ‘Man, I hope we stick to it because I know that we can get it right.’ ”
Both runs were behind the left side of the offensive line – Herremans’ side – but LeSean McCoy was dropped for a 1-yard loss and Eldra Buckley gained only 3 yards. Eight of the Eagles’ next nine plays were pass plays as they fell behind, 7-3. And when Chicago surged ahead, 14-3, on the next series, Mornhinweg’s play-calling was understandably pass-heavy.
By game’s end, quarterback Michael Vick had dropped back to pass 51 times and handed off only 15 times. The fact that the Bears’ safeties were playing as far back as Lake Michigan to limit long passes, however, suggested that maybe more plays on the ground would have pulled the secondary in.
“You see them back there and you know that you should be doing it to make up some ground,” Herremans said.
Mornhinweg hears the constant grumbling from fans and critics that the Eagles need to run more. The numbers seem to suggest that the run-pass disparity is less than in years past, but actually – if you classify Vick’s scrambles and sacks as pass plays – the ratio is 63-37.
“I don’t really care – whatever it takes to win the game,” Mornhinweg said. “I don’t care if we throw 30 times in a row or rush it 15 in a row. I really don’t.”
Mornhinweg is more concerned with maximizing the carries, and for the most part his offense has done so. Eagles running backs average 4.8 yards a carry, which is fifth best in the NFL. Those numbers are slightly skewed by Jerome Harrison’s 11 carries for 109 yards last month against the Redskins.
Surprisingly, Harrison had only one carry in the two games since then.
“That’s my responsibility. I got to get him in there a little more,” said Mornhinweg, who often gave the same response to inquiries a few season ago as to why Correll Buckhalter didn’t see the ball more often.
But, for the most part, it is difficult to argue against Reid and Mornhinweg’s pass-first philosophy in their West Coast offense. For instance, the Eagles’ red-zone problems of late – 2 of 10 inside the 20-yard line over the last two games – have been attributed to not running the ball enough when, in fact, running the ball too often may be the cause.
The Eagles have driven inside the red zone 39 times this season and have scored 19 touchdowns. Of the plays inside the red zone that resulted in touchdowns, only 18 of 55 were runs. When the Eagles have been forced to kick field goals or haven’t reached the end zone the 20 other times, the run-pass play-calling is much more balanced (25-35).
The sample is not a complete one and “every game is different,” as Mornhinweg is apt to say, but the numbers suggest that it’s better to pass than to run.
If Asante is not 100% don’t play him
Let him have the additional 10 days of rest
What the Eagles DON’T need is an 80-85% Asante for the home stretch
“That’s my responsibility. I got to get him in there a little more,” said Mornhinweg, who often gave the same response to inquiries a few seasons ago as to why Correll Buckhalter didn’t see the ball more often.
I’ll never forget that. Buckhalter averaged more than 6 yards per carry, but was continually denied the ball.
RCP
I can’t disagree with you there.
If Asante doesn’t play, I think our d-backs need to take GCobb’s suggestion. They can’t play scared. If they get beat, they get beat, but don’t play scared.
I am changing my Prediction on the outcome
Texans 34 – Eagles 30
I don’t like the match-ups at with the Texans Receivers and the Eagles Secondary..
Texans don’t run a lot of deep routes for their receivers are big,strong and average about
6’2-220lbs across the board, they live off those intermediate and sideline routes 10-15 yards down
field then have the strength/size to break tackles..they are not the Speedy Receivers that the Bears have, so the Eagles CB’s need to get in these bigger receivers face and knock them off their timing and routes… Schaub is a classic pocket passer who relies on rhythm and throwing to a spot,
so getting the receivers off-kilter will make Schaub hang onto the ball longer, therefore giving the Eagles more time to get at him or force him to throw in tight coverage and before he wants to…
This is the key to the game I believe
Eagles CB’s
What did i say about two weeks ago!!!! We should have picked up AL HARRIS…….. I’ll take him 80% over an 180% Hanson anyday……… We let him off the hook by not giving him atleast a veteran contract……… We signed trotter last season with two HULK HOGAN knees….. So what if he had a hip surgery………. A guy like him who knows the system will help along the stretch of the season……. And he’ll help guys like Lindley and Patterson……(Jorick Calvin maybe)!!!!!!!
Al Harris hasn’t been on a field in almost a year, I am not sure what level he could play out a this point of his career and probably unrealistic to bring him in and expect much contribution from him in my opinion. But I do think they should keep Hanson as the nickle CB and play the slot receiver only which is his strength and play Lindley whose been in the Eagles system since Draft Weekend and as a former 3 year Starter in the SEC, has gone up against NFL Talent for a while and how else are you going to find out about him, so go ahead and let him play..and maybe even have J Calvin play in some dime packages too… But do not line up Hanson as an outside CB, he’s too small to play out wide
jroc – but would you take Al Harris over Hanson at 20%? 40%?
We don’t know that he’s up to 80%, and I personally highly doubt he is.
Hanson’s a good Slot Cover/Nickle Back, but no more than that and isn’t as effective playing on the outside.. Play Lindley/Calvin if need be and see what they got..
One thing we all know, if the Eagles Def/Line cannot get a consistent rush on QB Schaub, the
Eagles Secondary will struggle with this Texan Receiving Corps not matter who they line up out there
20% 30% 40% whatever…… He’ll play better than Hanson any day!!!!! LOOK it’s wasn’t to hurt the Birdz if they signed him……
Hanson hasn’t proved him self to be a reliable guy on the outside…… And if my memory is correct Hanson said earlier this season that he thinks he’s the right guy to play the outside corner spot!!!! (when Hobbs was in question)…… He still gets burnt….. Cajun style on the field……
Al Harris doesnt have to play every down…… Put him in some packages dime or nickle…….. Hanson is better suited in the slot but i’m scared as well because Patrick Crayton use to murder him…… We all do remember that!!!! WHY NOT HARRIS
I for got going LOL!
“I am changing my Prediction on the outcome
Texans 34 – Eagles 30”
good call Paulman! true fan right there … you and mrs. cleo must be friends!