The Philadelphia Eagles are tasked with the unenviable responsibility of stopping the New England Patriots' offense in order to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
It's not an impossible assignment, however. The Eagles ranked first in rushing defense by traditional and advanced metrics, boasting an array of talent that would make most defensive coordinators swoon.
Tom Brady is the leading candidate to win NFL MVP and there isn't much a defense can do to neutralize him, so it'll be on the Eagles to completely erase Dion Lewis, James White, and Rex Burkhead.
Here we provide further insight into the Eagles' plan of attack:
Shot 1 - Fletcher Cox has been on fire in the postseason. He's been incredibly disruptive through two games. Here's a handful of examples from last Sunday vs the #Vikings #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/nAwMW7lGRL
— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) January 25, 2018
Although the Eagles possess arguably the deepest defensive line in the NFL, the entire scheme begins with Fletcher Cox. The 27-year-old was named a second-team All-Pro and has been a wrecking ball playing like a man possessed. In the above clip, Cox routinely destroyed Minnesota Vikings linemen Joe Berger and Jeremiah Sirles, proving the simple axiom that he can't be blocked by a single defender. Cox did an excellent job of disengaging from his opponent and driving the opposition into each other, which created attack lanes for the rest of the defense.
Shot 5 - Another big stop by the #Eagles defense on this drive, this time the LBs Nigel Bradham and Mychal Kendricks at the forefront. Both 'backers making plays to help keep Atlanta out of field goal range in this sequence #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/TBsl8OR4eR
— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) January 15, 2018
The defense has been getting contributions across the board with linebackers Nigel Bradham and Mychal Kendricks playing some of the best football of their careers. In the first sequence of the clip, Kendricks readjusted Bradham pre-snap, informing him the play would be a run in his direction. Bradham, in turn, made the correct read and chased down Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman. Simple but effective communication pre-snap is paramount to the Eagles' success.
Shot 3 - The adjustment the #Eagles made to #Raiders 13 personnel set was the use of a heavy 4-4 defense...4 DL and 4 LBs on the field. Was very effective for them late in the game when they needed to stop the run on multiple occasions pic.twitter.com/aVky0Z8WBY
— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) December 26, 2017
The Eagles can also present multiple looks, including a scheme with four defensive linemen and four linebackers, which should bode well against a Patriots offense that can reinvent itself on a whim. In the clip, the Eagles presented a 4-4 front to counter-attack the Oakland Raiders' power running game. All eight defenders worked in unison and crashed upon Marshawn Lynch before his line could open up any holes. Cox, Derek Barnett, and Timmy Jernigan all beat their initial matchup off the snap, an impressive result against the Raiders' proficient offensive line.
New England is known for its unpredictability, but Philadelphia's ability to adapt to nearly any scheme will be essential in trying to take down the defending champions.
