Analyze Next week.

[Rassputtin]

Interested in hearing what all of us amateur coordinators think about next weeks NFC Rivalry game.

The 3-1 Redskins make a trip up to Philly to play the 2-2 Eagles.

What do the skins need to do to win, what do the eagles need to do to win.

[MAGGIO]

For the skins...keep throwing the ball! Much better than previous years games...run run run BS!

[ooga booga]

The skins are going to have to win it on defense, once again. We all know the Eagles defense will use their blitzing schemes, reguardless of their opponent. And they have been outstanding against the run this year. That spells bad for Clinton Portis, the Skins lone offensive weapon. Moss has been inconsistant his entire career, and I expect him to be covered all day by Samuel, a top CB. Campbell is going to have little time to throw, and will need to be able to move the chains with short passes/screen plays. Eagles secondary, in my opinion, is one of the best in the NFL (better than the Skins). If Westbrook is out again, it will be huge boost for the Skins. They are going to have to rush McNabb and hope to cause some fumbles from him and get points off of their defense and turnovers. Otherwise, I think Eagles will take it.

[Rassputtin]

On paper the Eagles have one of the best secondaries in the league. However in my amateur coordinator opinion I don't think thats the case. I think they have 1 great corner and a good FS.

See I've watched the Eagles enough to notice Johnsons schemes, and I also noticed that its not the players that are great. Its the schemes.

This observation can be noted by the personel changes. Players such as trotter, kearse, etc etc. When trotter was in an eagles uniform with the johnson scheme he was acclaimed, all you heard was how phenomenal he was as a MIC, how riduclously good he was at stopping the run.

You trade him to another team not running the johnson scheme and he has trouble getting a job. That being said it is the scheme that is top notch, and the players in it just look top notch because the D package is so well designed.

The broncos are not a blitz happy team, and Champ Bailey still is most likely the best corner in the game. He often is in a coverage scheme not a blitzing scheme.

Its the blitzes and pressure that cause mediocre secondary players like sheppherd, brown, mikell to seem way better than they are.

Put any of them on a team that doesn't run blitz schemes and see if they can still be acclaimed in coverage packages, and stay with recievers long enough and tight enough for the pocket to break down instead of just long enough for a blitzer to get there. My guess is, unlike Bailey, and much like trotter, you would see that these are not great players, but mediocre players in a very well designed scheme.

Now that being said and being the basis and background for my gameplan, I say the redskins offense needs to beat the scheme not the players. The only player in coverage that would concern me as a player in any scheme is Asante. So... with all that in mind this is what the Redskins need to do, to beat Johnsons schemes, negate the inflated talent of the rest of the secondary that his schemes bring and win the game.

Johnsons Defense is based on Blitz packages and disguised reads that cause quick and constant pressure with the intention of forcing the offense to make mistakes. Not throw the ball away and take a sack, get frustrated and throw the ball up for anyone and have a defender come down with it, make the O-line frustrated and start getting called for penalties.

Alot of teams try to stop the blitzing packages by adding blockers to pick up the blitzers. Either bringing in split backs, or Twin TE's or offset I's, whatever, they try to get more protection. More blitzers = more blockers.

However that is not the way to beat the scheme. More blockers means less recievers, less recievers means less outs, less outs means less chance of success.

When you match up and try to block man for man, you negate the advantage gained by an aggressive blitzing defense. When you bring in blockers you still have a body on each reciever beyond the line.

In order to defeat a blitz and johnsons schemes you need to attack it, not bring in extra blockers and defend it. A common mistake made by teams who play Philly.

Often a pass rush with as many blitzers as johnson brings results in a zone coverage, or man to man with a single safety zone over top. Either way, if you aggressively attack the blitz instead of being defensive its a winning situation for you.

Bring in your twin TE set, but release them on teh snap instead of having them block, one drag, one flat out, also give the HB a delayed release into a curl. Put the recievers into a slightly deeper routes.

This causes a few things to happen. Say the eagles are in a standard 4-3 under package against your Twin TE-Strong. Lets say they are going to blitz the SAM, the MIC, and the FS. That gives you 7 men attempting to put pressure on the QB. You only have 5 men blocking as your releaseing the TE's and HB. Its unlikely the SAM and MIC are going to stunt to the weak side, it would take too much time to develop. Besides, the FS is coming on the weak side. Put the QB in shotgun.

If its man to man, the corners are going to go with the recievers up on their routes clearing out both flats. That leaves a SS to either give help over the top or come down also into man coverage on either one of the TE's or HB. Only other player is the weak side linebacker. Who will also be with a TE or RB. Leaving either a TE, or a RB totally unabated.

If you remember are route, one tight end is going to the flat, in man to man with a safety. The other TE is dragging along the line to the other flat, most likely pulling the Weak side LB with him. Leaving the HB totally uncovered and free to run straight up the middle. Your in shotgun, so you don't need to take your 5 step drop, If you read the coverage right, which you can do easily by sending a TE into motion wide to the weak side. If the weak LB doesnt follow him, your either facing a zone, or a weak LB attemting to disguise his coverage and thinks that he can sprint out to the slot before the ball comes out. Either way, either a TE in the slot will be wide open, or a HB in teh middle with nothing but grass in front of him will be wide open.

The thing is that mentality needs to be executed. Will it be successful every single time. NO. At some point Campbell will make the wrong read, and get sacked. They key is to take the sack and not just put the ball up. BUT, if your successful enough, don't even have to be big plays, just move the chains. If you keep hitting hots against blitzes and moving the chains the defense will get frustrated. Johnson will be forced to back off the blitzes and drop his LB"s into coverage, and thats when you pound them with a healthy dose of Clinton Portis.

Wow, thats way longer than I wanted it to be and I'm like not even done. Ok summary mode.

Redskins need to attack the blitz with hot outs to force the defense off the blitz, especially on first down. Then need to take shots down the field to show the defense they will throw the ball deep. Whence the defense backs off blitzing they need to run the ball and run the ball some more, and then go deep to keep em honest and off the blitz.