Eagles-Browns Film Review: A lot of good but also some frustrating plays, too

This is a tough Eagles performance to evaluate because the Browns aren’t a professional offense with Deshaun Watson as the quarterback right now. That guy sucks. What a shame! This performance has a lot of good but also some frustrating plays too. I’ll explain why below!

Defense

I go on about him a lot, but I’m a big fan of Zack Baun. On the first play of the game, he played the run excellently, and then the very next play, he does this in the flat. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s just good linebacker play! I’ll keep banging this drum, but I think the Eagles should extend him sooner rather than later.

I wasn’t hugely keen on the Eagles’ run fits when watching the game live. Maybe I’ve just been scarred by the 4-man fronts too often because, on the rewatch, I didn’t hate them. They weren’t perfect, but they weren’t terrible. This was a good example of the Eagles plugging gaps better than before from a 4-2 front, and Moro Ojomo does really well. Ojomo is having a very good season which makes me incredibly happy!

Speaking of Ojomo, here he is rushing the quarterback! This was the big knock on him coming out, so this is awesome to see. He had a couple of excellent reps in this game where his athleticism stood out. He moves really well and he’s a great size for the 3/4i technique in Fangio’s defense. He seems to be improving every week right now. I’ve said it before but I think this defensive line has too much talent to suck against the run.

I can’t quite explain how much I enjoyed watching this play on the All22 this week. This is what I have been waiting for. I don’t know why it’s taken so long, but this play resembles what I think of a Fangio defense. In its most basic form, I think of Fangio wanting to be +1 on either side of the field. This is exactly what they do here. They play 4 over 3 on one side and 3 over 2 on the other side. The Eagles also have a split-safety look rather than a single-high look. It looks good! As well as this, they also run a stunt that gets Jalen Carter flying towards the quarterback and forcing the throw. I’ve been waiting a long time for a play like this and I’m hoping the Eagles can build on this. This should be Fangio’s go to call in obvious passing situations.

It’s always two steps forward and one step backward with the Eagles. After being very positive about the previous play, I will now be very critical. How many times will the Eagles’ run defense make this mistake this season? They can’t set the EDGE consistently. Either Josh Sweat is freelancing and isn’t supposed to slant inside, or he is supposed to slant inside, and Nakobe Dean is supposed to cover him. I hate both options. If it’s option one then that’s a terrible play by Josh Sweat and I hope the coaches had some stern words for him. If it’s option two, then I hate the play call. Asking Nakobe Dean to make this play and set the EDGE is such a tough read for him. Whatever the reasoning behind this is, it’s frustrating to see the same issue pop up again.

I thought Fangio was a bit more aggressive in bringing pressure in this game and it often worked. This is a hell of a blitz by Zack Baun, who blows up the running back. I think this is a harsh call for roughing the passer. It’s great coverage by Quinyon Mitchell too!

I love how angry Quinyon is here. As I said in the tweet, cornerbacks need to play with a certain attitude to succeed. I want my top cornerback to be angry if someone takes away an interception from him, even if it is a veteran! Quinyon does not play look a rookie and he doesn’t look like one on the field either! He had another good game and he’s had a top rookie season so far. The Eagles played a ton of cover 1 in this game but I’m not sure I expect to see this much every week. It may have just been because they were playing Deshaun Watson. Did I mention he sucks yet? If not, he sucks.

Ah, Nakobe Dean. I think the more I see him play, the more I am sure he is not an every-down starting linebacker due to his struggles in coverage. But that doesn’t make him useless. I think some of the criticism I see online is harsh. He plays with real hustle, and you can never accuse him of not playing hard. He was all over the place in this game and chased down everything. This one, in particular, stood out. I think Quinyon probably make the tackle and stops the first down but I can’t be certain. Naboke Dean makes sure by chasing back after the blitz and making the tackle. This is really good to see. All defenses need players to play hard and rally to the football. The basics always matter!

Here’s another successful Fangio stunt. However, is it the stunt that works, or is it just Jalen Carter being a freak? Carter had a handful of plays in this game where he was unblockable. The guy is ridiculously talented. He’s not even meant to be the defender who gets after the quarterback here but he still makes the sack. It’s also a pressure for Bryce Huff who showed some small signs of life in this game!

Can you remember how bad the Eagles were at fitting the run against the Saints? The Saints ran outside zone from under center a little differently (with a guard cutting Zack Baun), and the Eagles couldn’t handle it all. The Eagles play this so much better despite remaining in their 4-2 front. This is a positive sign as it suggests that the Eagles are learning from their weaknesses earlier in the season.

Stock up: Nolan Smith. He still didn’t have a great game rushing the quarterback but he had some excellent reps in coverage and in run defense. He does a good job dropping here and taking away the easy throw. I can’t believe I’ve got this far and have not spoken about Cooper DeJean, but I will get to him soon. Don’t you worry! This is a classic Fangio call and I’m surprised we haven’t seen it more this year. Fangio seemed to trust DeJean blitzing more, but it could be because the Eagles were playing against Deshaun Watson. Who sucks, by the way.

Along with the run play earlier on, where they didn’t set the edge well, this was the other play that worried me. Every team will give up plays in the passing game, but it’s disappointing that the Eagles gave up the same play I’ve seen them give up a lot this year. They have an issue with playing cover 3 against deep crossing routes from the slot receiver. Offenses have attacked them with this route all season and they’ve struggled to distribute these routes. Add this one to the list.

Cooper DeJean! I love this play. Look at the athleticism and the speed to make the tackle in the open field. He wasn’t tested a great deal in coverage, but he had a couple of really good reps in man coverage and was such a big help in run defense. I am certain he will have some weeks where he gets beat by some good slot receivers, but this was a very positive performance. I have said for a while that I think his best position in this defense may be in the slot because of his ability to play against the run, and this game didn’t change my mind at all. It was just so good to see him on the field.

Let’s end with Nolan Smith. I have been very critical of Smith since the Eagles drafted him because he’s never been that good of a pass rusher in my opinion. That does not make him worthless. He dropped into coverage well in this game, and he was outstanding against the run. This play should be a touchdown for the Browns. They get the look they want, and Nolan Smith fights through the tight end and then beats the guard on the edge, too. This is a great play and was a big reason the Eagles shut out the Browns this week. I’m happy for him.

Just like on the offensive side of the ball, where was a lot of stuff in this game mixed in with the same old frustrating plays. I’m hopeful the Eagles can build on this, but the Giants will provide a tougher test than Deshaun Watson.

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here.