Eagles All-22: How To Compete With The Patriots Part One

The first look at how the Philadelphia Eagles can upset the New England Patriots.

Eight years ago, the Eagles headed to Foxborough to face off against an undefeated Patriots team that was running roughshod over the rest of the NFL. The Patriots weren’t just 10-0, they were embarrassing teams, sporting an average margin of victory of 23.7.

The Eagles were without Donovan McNabb and on their way to an 8-8 finish, but found a way to compete, setting a precedent for how to defend Tom Brady and Randy Moss, losing just 31-28. In their final six games, the Patriots scored 30 points just twice and saw their perfect season end with a Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.

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Now, in 2015, the Eagles are forced to face a banged-up New England squad who are bitter after losing their first game this season in overtime to the Denver Broncos. The Pats are still 10-1 and atop the AFC, while the Eagles are one game out of a playoff spot in the dreadful NFC East, and also one spot out of the worst record in the conference.

So is it possible? Can an underdog Eagle team head up to Massachusetts and put a scare into Brady and company like they did during their last visit? If they play like they did on Thanksgiving, there’s no way they will look like a team that even belongs in the same league as the Patriots.

But, if – and it’s a big if – they show up with a chip on their shoulder and play inspired, there’s a chance they can stay competitive with a team missing four of its top offensive weapons and the leader of its defense.

This week I will chronicle, first, how teams have been successful against the Patriots, and then how the Eagles have done those things at times when they actually resembled an NFL team earlier in the season.

PRESSURE BRADY

Brady may be the best quarterback not named Peyton Manning at figuring out blitzes and getting rid of the ball before teams have a chance to get to him. However, his kryptonite happens to come in the form of Rex Ryan who is second-to-none in his ability to disguise and confuse opposing quarterbacks.

Here’s a play from the Buffalo Bills and Pats week 11 matchup:

The Bills have seven men in the box and are employing man coverage across the board on New England’s receivers. A linebacker gets in untouched and forces Brady to throw the ball away before allowing a huge sack.

That is a smart, simple play, rushing seven guys against just six blockers. Now, here’s another play from the same game, where Buffalo runs a similar play:

The Bills run a cover-two, but have five guys on the line of scrimmage, showing blitz again. But instead of blitzing, they rush just four, getting the slot corner in unblocked, forcing Brady to throw the ball to a well-covered Julian Edelman.

Mind games like this are where you beat Brady. You have to confuse him and take advantage of hitting him any chance you get. Brady has no problem taking the hits, but his frustration levels will rise very quickly, causing him to force balls into coverage.

SPREAD THE FIELD

The Patriots do not have a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball. They said good-bye to Darrelle Revis in the off-season and lost inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower during the Broncos game. Hell, they even employed Bradley Fletcher before realizing he was inept at covering the deep ball. But still, the Patriots employ a successful defense by keeping things simple and relying on their talent up the middle.

First-year starter and Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler is their top cornerback, and has played well, competing with likes of Demaryius Thomas, who had just one catch on 13 targets this past Sunday.

But to beat the Patriots, you must spread the field, especially on the outside, and take advantage of Hightower’s absence and soft coverages by running and throwing short passes over the middle. For example:

The Pats run a cover-two with press coverage on the outside, and to compensate, push their safeties and linebackers down the field to avoid giving up the big play.

That’s classic, simple, Belichick defense. Tyrod Taylor is able to hit receiver in front of the entire back seven and still pick up nine yards.

Executing plays like this will be necessary if the Eagles want any shot to win on Sunday. The Patriots will do all they can to not give up the big play, so you have to dink and dunk your way down the field in order to be successful.

DON’T MAKE MISTAKES

This is pretty self-explanatory and doesn’t need any fancy video. You cannot make mistakes and beat the Patriots. It won’t happen.

Belichick preaches ball security and will cut any player who shows any signs of being prone to fumbling, while Brady is too good to be handing great field position. The Eagles cannot afford to turn the ball over like they have all year because the Patriots will take advantage and are too smart to beat themselves.

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In the past 10 years the Patriots are 86-6 when winning the turnover battle. Granted, their overall record in that span is really good, but a winning percentage of .934 is unheard of.

On Thursday, I will go through how the Eagles have utilized their personnel during the 2015 season in ways that can be effective against the Patriots, provided the team shows up and doesn’t roll over like it did the past two weeks.

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