Jaws On WIP: Falcons Blitzed 38 Times

[PhillyPhreak54]

Jaws was just on WIP and spoke about the game. He said he just broke down the film yesterday...

1. Out of a total of 61 plays run by the Eagles offense, the Falcons defense blitzed 5 or more defenders a startling 38 times. That is 62% of the time. Jaws said that he'd never really remembered seeing that many blitzes in a game. If you remember that loss to the 49ers in December of 2003, Jim Mora was the DC of the 49ers. They blitzed and they won. They backed off the blitz in the NFCCG and lost. So clearly (other teams have had success blitzing too) the magic potion to stopping Donovan is to blitz him.

2. He said that Donovan did NOT have as many clear running lanes as we thought he did. He said the way their blitzes were set up they prevented him from taking off most of the time.

3. Obviously said that Reid should have run it more to counter the blitz. It might have not worked successfully but it would at least hold the 'backers while playing play-action.

4. Said that TO did indeed go all out and that Donovan could've had 450 yards passing had he been on his "A" game. Many of his throws were affected by the pressure and TO was open way more than we saw. He said that the notion of Hall shutting down TO was ridiculous (McNabb said it yesterday too). He said that on one play that TV did not show, TO picked up Hall on a block and pancaked him on the sideline while blocking on a running play. So all of those conspiracy theorists saying TO was not going all out...cram it.

5. Said that the Falcons were successful with the blitz because many times they lined up WLB Keith Brooking over Hank Fraley so the Birds had to block man-on-man and Hank could not help Artis or Andrews. That allowed the Falcons to stunt and do other things and run guys free to the QB.

[SunMo]

interesting stuff...

after the game I was arguing the notion that he should've run for exactly what Jaws was saying.

[PhillyGirl]

What I didn't like that he said was that McNabb wasn't affected by the hit and then that he WAS. He flip-flopped about it.

[Diomedes]

He said that on one play that TV did not show, TO picked up Hall on a block and pancaked him on the sideline while blocking on a running play

They did show that block.  TO put him on the ground, onto his back, and stayed on him as Hall went down.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Yeah, I heard that too. But the only person (people) who know that fo' sho' are McNabb and Big Red. And neither of them will ever admit it either way.

[Sgt PSN]

So clearly (other teams have had success blitzing too) the magic potion to stopping Donovan is to blitz him.

I don't think that's a highly protected secret.  The Bucs and Pats both blitzed the crap out of McNabb to open the 2003 season.   Reid threw, threw and threw and McNabb got sacked, sacked and sacked.  Then the Eagles go to Buffalo and what does Reid do?  He runs the ball a little more.  And what was the outcome?  First win of the season. 

I don't know why teams don't blitz more against the Eagles but when they do, Reid needs to start dialing up #36 a little more often. 

[PhillyGirl]

So clearly (other teams have had success blitzing too) the magic potion to stopping Donovan is to blitz him.

I don't think that's a highly protected secret.  The Bucs and Pats both blitzed the crap out of McNabb to open the 2003 season.   Reid threw, threw and threw and McNabb got sacked, sacked and sacked.  Then the Eagles go to Buffalo and what does Reid do?  He runs the ball a little more.  And what was the outcome?  First win of the season. 

I don't know why teams don't blitz more against the Eagles but when they do, Reid needs to start dialing up #36 a little more often. 

And I think forget the blitzing and talk about the zesty playcalling, like you said. Its got far less to do with the other team's defense and a hell of a lot more to do with our own coaching staff who forgets how to call run plays.

[Larry]

Ed Donatell, DC of the Falcons, was the DC of the Packers during the 4th-and-26 game.  What many forget is in that game, GB blitzed nearly every play and McNabb was 8 sacked times.  In fact, he was generally ineffective until he started running at the end of the game.  That's what was missing.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Yep, and Donatell failed to blitz on 4th and 26, and gave Donovan time to find Freddie.

Teams that blitz Donovan definitely have more success in general.  The 49ers will bring extra guys about half the time on Sunday, so Donovan better take the suck out of his game.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Ed Donatell, DC of the Falcons, was the DC of the Packers during the 4th-and-26 game.  What many forget is in that game, GB blitzed nearly every play and McNabb was 8 sacked times.  In fact, he was generally ineffective until he started running at the end of the game.  That's what was missing.

Larry...did your crack dealer move out of the neighborhood? You've made a few good points the last couple of days.

Good point about Donatell and that GB game. That game was lost by that dopey sumbitch Mike Sherman and yet Donatell got fired. Then they went through Bob Slowik and now they have Jim Bates, who is not too bad. But their personnel fargin suck.

Anyways...McNabb's best play in that game was the one when he eluded Gbaja-Biamila and threw the TD to Pinky after Todd did a great tight-rope walk of the sideline in the EZ.

[ice grillin you]

a called roll out wouldnt hurt every once in a while

anyway the eagles didnt lose cause of the blitz the eagles lost cause it was a tough friggin game to win

i said from the get that at atlanta in the monday nite opener was not only unfair but an extremely tought position to be in...at atl and at kc were two losses this year...jaws and anyone else can breakdown the game film as much as they want but the fact is they lost a road game against a very good team...its going to happen

[MURP]

Said that the Falcons were successful with the blitz because many times they lined up WLB Keith Brooking over Hank Fraley so the Birds had to block man-on-man and Hank could not help Artis or Andrews.

I guess we can expect to see this a lot until Reid decides to counteract it. 

[rjs246]

Said that the Falcons were successful with the blitz because many times they lined up WLB Keith Brooking over Hank Fraley so the Birds had to block man-on-man and Hank could not help Artis or Andrews.

I guess we can expect to see this a lot until Reid decides to counteract it. 

Perhaps a fullback every now and then... oh who am I kidding.

[Larry]

An easy way to counteract the blitz is with screens.  Westbrook was having good success with them, but I believe after McNabb threw that Aaron Brookish backward pass, Reid scratched all those plays off the chart.

[Seabiscuit36]

Im suprised Jaws didnt think Mcnabb was a different player after that hit.  It was like watching the Carolina Championship game all over again