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Perhaps the dearth of deep balls are more an indictment of Sanchez (accuracy, arm strength) than which WR is or isn't on the roster. Or that opposing defenses have adapted to try and limit Maclin. Perhaps it's a combination thereof. Earlier this season I was beginning to doubt Foles because of his inconsistent play but it appears that the deep ball went away when he got hurt.
Sheil Kapadia--
Here are three leftovers from Chip Kelly’s session with reporters on Monday.
1. Kelly has been peppered with a lot of questions about the Eagles’ lack of a downfield passing attack.
"I think people are playing us a lot deeper than they did last year," he said Monday. "That's very evident. I don't think anybody really lets us get behind them anymore. People are playing coverage from the top down, as opposed to last year; we saw a lot more press-man last year.
"We are not going to force things in terms of trying to throw the ball deep over the top if they are not going to allow you to run over the top."
Earlier in the season, the downfield throws were available. What's happened since then?
"Some of the things that Jeremy Maclin has done - and he's had an outstanding year for us, I don't know his numbers [exactly], high 70s and whatever... he was running post right by people and we’re not seeing that anymore. If you watch the tape, the safeties are a lot deeper and people are playing a little bit deeper on us now."
On the season, the Eagles have 55 pass plays of 20+ yards, which ranks third in the NFL. They are on pace for 63. Last year, the number was 80, tops in the league.
2. The obvious follow-up is: How much of that has had to do with Mark Sanchez? And the answer is: a lot.
Per Pro Football Focus, 12.5 percent of Sanchez's attempts have gone 20+ yards downfield; that ranks 17th in the NFL. For Nick Foles, the percentage was 18.9, second-highest. And then there is the accuracy percentage. Sanchez has been on-target with just 32.1 percent of his downfield throws (32nd). Foles actually wasn't much better (35.6 percent; 27th).
But clearly, Foles liked to chuck it downfield more than Sanchez. Kelly, however, has no incentive to acknowledge that fact publicly.
"The first ball that Mark ever threw here, he came in the game and dropped a post right over the top in stride to him, and then all of a sudden people started backing up a little bit," he said. "If anybody questions Mark's arm strength, go to the preseason game against the Bears when he threw it 70 yards into the end zone at the end of the first half."
On Sunday, Sanchez attempted just two passes of 20+ yards, and both were incomplete.
3. The question of preparation hasn't come up much since Kelly's taken over. He was asked whether he believed the players understood what was at stake Sunday, given how they started the game.
"Our effort was always there," Kelly said. "I don't think our team came out flat. I don't think our team didn't play with energy. We didn't execute. And if they didn't have effort and they didn't have energy, we wouldn't have gotten back to be up 24‑21. But it's about sustaining, and it's about eliminating the mistakes and not putting yourselves in harm’s way.
"So we are up 24‑21 and then they go on a long drive to score. We have to go out and respond offensively, and then we turn the football over. So it's more self-inflicted things, but I don't think it was anything about our guys not being ready and not understanding what the stakes and the game were all about."
Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/birds247/20...X2CSXrW3Lct.99
Here are three leftovers from Chip Kelly’s session with reporters on Monday.
1. Kelly has been peppered with a lot of questions about the Eagles’ lack of a downfield passing attack.
"I think people are playing us a lot deeper than they did last year," he said Monday. "That's very evident. I don't think anybody really lets us get behind them anymore. People are playing coverage from the top down, as opposed to last year; we saw a lot more press-man last year.
"We are not going to force things in terms of trying to throw the ball deep over the top if they are not going to allow you to run over the top."
Earlier in the season, the downfield throws were available. What's happened since then?
"Some of the things that Jeremy Maclin has done - and he's had an outstanding year for us, I don't know his numbers [exactly], high 70s and whatever... he was running post right by people and we’re not seeing that anymore. If you watch the tape, the safeties are a lot deeper and people are playing a little bit deeper on us now."
On the season, the Eagles have 55 pass plays of 20+ yards, which ranks third in the NFL. They are on pace for 63. Last year, the number was 80, tops in the league.
2. The obvious follow-up is: How much of that has had to do with Mark Sanchez? And the answer is: a lot.
Per Pro Football Focus, 12.5 percent of Sanchez's attempts have gone 20+ yards downfield; that ranks 17th in the NFL. For Nick Foles, the percentage was 18.9, second-highest. And then there is the accuracy percentage. Sanchez has been on-target with just 32.1 percent of his downfield throws (32nd). Foles actually wasn't much better (35.6 percent; 27th).
But clearly, Foles liked to chuck it downfield more than Sanchez. Kelly, however, has no incentive to acknowledge that fact publicly.
"The first ball that Mark ever threw here, he came in the game and dropped a post right over the top in stride to him, and then all of a sudden people started backing up a little bit," he said. "If anybody questions Mark's arm strength, go to the preseason game against the Bears when he threw it 70 yards into the end zone at the end of the first half."
On Sunday, Sanchez attempted just two passes of 20+ yards, and both were incomplete.
3. The question of preparation hasn't come up much since Kelly's taken over. He was asked whether he believed the players understood what was at stake Sunday, given how they started the game.
"Our effort was always there," Kelly said. "I don't think our team came out flat. I don't think our team didn't play with energy. We didn't execute. And if they didn't have effort and they didn't have energy, we wouldn't have gotten back to be up 24‑21. But it's about sustaining, and it's about eliminating the mistakes and not putting yourselves in harm’s way.
"So we are up 24‑21 and then they go on a long drive to score. We have to go out and respond offensively, and then we turn the football over. So it's more self-inflicted things, but I don't think it was anything about our guys not being ready and not understanding what the stakes and the game were all about."
Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/birds247/20...X2CSXrW3Lct.99
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