Kellen Moore can help the Eagles improve against the blitz

As I stated in the last Kellen Moore post, I’ve watched a lot movie on the brand new Eagles offensive coordinator that I’ll flip all of the clips I recorded right into a collection of posts, somewhat than only one lengthy article. Every one will give attention to a number of completely different facets of Kellen Moore’s philosophy. In the event you haven’t checked out final week’s publish then please learn that earlier than this one!

Part 1: Run Game, PA Naked Bootleg and Motion

Final time I spoke lots about tendencies, we checked out varied numbers. We’ll speak movie this week and take a look at three areas that stood out to me when watching Kellen Moore’s cross sport. There is just one place to begin…

Dealing with the Blitz

The Eagles’ season collapsed as a result of they couldn’t deal with the blitz. It’s fairly unimaginable simply how dangerous they have been in opposition to strain final 12 months. In the event you have been to remove the blitz, the Eagles’ offense was completely fantastic. It ruined the Eagles’ season and positively pissed off the hell out of all of the gamers.

You’ll be able to argue that the Eagles’ largest precedence was choosing a brand new offensive coordinator who might plan for the blitz. Properly, I’ve excellent news. Kellen Moore’s movie in opposition to the blitz may be very promising within the video games that I watched. And the stats again me up.

So, what does Kellen Moore do in opposition to the blitz? I’m sorry to disappoint however, he doesn’t do something radical. I feel his groups are very effectively coached they usually do the fundamentals proper again and again. If you’re anticipating to examine a model new revolutionary offensive strategy in opposition to the blitz that may blow your minds, then I sadly can’t offer you what you need. However I can present you what a great teaching employees can do to arrange a workforce to face strain.

In quite simple phrases, Kellen Moore’s groups are well-coached to have numerous scorching routes or built-in solutions to strain. If you’re a correct scheme nerd like me, please take a look over a number of the performs within the Cowboys’ 2021 playbook which proves that Moore is concentrated on dealing with strain.

I received’t bore you with the specifics, however practically each play seems to be just like the one above. You’ll often see the phrases ‘Scorching Constructed-In’ or ‘Bandit Construct-In’ (Bandit is a sight adjustment telling the receiver to regulate their route and get open shortly if an additional blitzer comes from that aspect). If you wish to get higher in opposition to the blitz, you’ve to spend so much of time making ready for it all through the low season. You want to have solutions on each single play to a whole lot of strain. It takes time. It takes preparation. It takes consideration to element. You’ll be able to see the solutions on movie.

Firstly, this sort of play is what you see lots on movie. You’ll be able to see that the quarterback and his receivers are on the identical web page. Moore’s offenses didn’t try to take deep pictures in opposition to strain just like the Eagles tried to do. They simply saved the chains transferring by throwing into the realm that was vacated by the blitzer. Soccer may be easy generally, can’t it?

The opposite factor you are able to do is design performs that offer you an perception into what the protection is perhaps doing by utilizing shifts and movement. The Chargers right here use shifts pre-snap to establish the zone strain look and Herbert throws into the aspect bringing the overload. Additionally, Moore’s offenses weren’t afraid to depart backs and tight ends into block if wanted. The Eagles have struggled with their operating backs in cross safety the previous couple of seasons and that is an space that they should tackle.

You’ll be able to see a theme, can’t you? Easy throws, the place the quarterback and receivers are on the identical web page. It seems to be straightforward, however these items takes a whole lot of preparation.

Everybody can get somewhat too obsessive about scorching routes, and the truth is that generally constructing an offense with quite a lot of routes at completely different depths can present a whole lot of solutions in opposition to strain. The secret’s giving the quarterback simply sufficient time, which implies no free rushers! Even when the Eagles designed performs in opposition to strain final 12 months, they only couldn’t maintain up in cross safety as they have been outnumbered.

Quads/Journeys Formations

One of many largest issues I seen from Kellen Moore’s offenses was using quads and journeys. Get able to see a whole lot of formations subsequent 12 months that isolate one aspect of the sphere. AJ Brown goes to like this offense. He’s going to be remoted lots and moved across the formation lots. CeeDee Lamb is a celebrity, and I feel Kellen Moore goes to attempt to isolate AJ Brown like he did with Lamb.

I really like seeing using quads formations and ‘quick 4’ however the actuality is that these items solely works in case you have a receiver that may win these one-on-one matchups. AJ Brown can win one-on-one matchups.

These things occurred lots within the movie I watched. Rather a lot. If Jalen Hurts actually ‘can’t throw it to the center of the sphere’ like some individuals imagine then we’ll discover out this 12 months.

It seems that Kellen Moore’s been doing this for just a few years too…

If you wish to get actually excited, Kellen Moore has additionally lined up offensive linemen in journeys to run display screen performs. Jordan Mailata blocking out in area? Signal. Me. Up.

Vertical Pictures

Hear, you didn’t actually assume the Eagles have been going to rent an offensive thoughts who didn’t wish to push the ball down the sphere, did you? I do know a few of you’re fed up with an strategy that focuses on explosive performs, however everyone knows that explosive performs are important for an offense to succeed. The difficulty with the Eagles final 12 months was that many performs felt prefer it was explosive play or bust as a result of they might be vertical pictures to a coated receiver, and we might merely hope that the star receiver would come down with the soccer. Moore’s offense just isn’t like that.

Moore makes use of a number of completely different formations to try to create explosive performs. His Cowboys’ offenses weren’t afraid to take a whole lot of vertical pictures. They did it in a barely completely different method to the Eagles final 12 months although. The Eagles would use isolation routes on the surface to throw go routes to make the most of one-on-one matchups. The Cowboys and Chargers used extra ideas akin to Mills, Put up-Cross, or Double-Put up Cross like under to try to get gamers open. This labored so significantly better with the Cowboys as a result of they may use the run sport to get a protection to be aggressive in opposition to them. Please, go and skim the first article I’ve written on Moore as a result of I am going into a whole lot of element on why the important thing a part of his offense is the run sport.

The Cowboys line up under with 12 personnel and pistol so the protection is considering run.

It is a magnificence. The performs are sometimes effectively designed and you may see that there’s a built-in reply to strain if the protection blitzes. Once I consider the Eagles going vertical the previous couple of years, I consider go routes and 50/50 throws. I didn’t see that from Kellen Moore’s offenses, however as at all times, this could possibly be all the way down to personnel. I noticed a whole lot of deep crossing routes and posts, somewhat than straight-go routes, to create explosive performs. These double publish ideas are actually good in opposition to the quantity of split-safety coverages we’re seeing at the moment. Word the late shift and place of the receiver right here to create outdoors leverage from the cornerback… we spoke about this at size final week!

That’s all for this one. Subsequent time up, we’ll take a look at just a few extra options of Moore’s philosophy and I’ll additionally summarize my private opinion on the rent when it comes to positives and negatives.