Jake has never showed the ability to look off defenders, or scan the field, or go through progressions. A good corner can read his intent by his 3rd step back, and make his break on the ball. That, coupled with the inability of our WR’s to run sharp breaks, and Jake’s penchant for overthrowing or underleading his target, makes our passing attack less than fearsome.

Too many deep routes that are double covered because the safeties always know where’s it’s going, and not enough slants and curls to the TE’s. Of course, the latter, which I’d like to see more of, is only effective if the QB can lead his target, not throw behind him where it can be picked off.

We can be competitive in this league (right now, we’re not) if 3 basic things are improved: 1) tackling (better than the preseason), 2) blocking (line coach, do your job), and 3) accurate passing (Moore?)

(pretty much as I said)

Eagles’ phantom blitz turned game around

By Bob Brookover

Inquirer Staff Writer

Jake Delhomme saw it. The Carolina quarterback even pointed it out. And yet, the members of the Panthers’ offensive line looked like kindergartners trying to figure out quantum physics.

The scheme the Eagles’ new defensive coordinator, Sean McDermott, cooked up that eventually tipped Sunday’s convincing 38-10 win in the Eagles’ favor obviously wasn’t as mind-bending, but nevertheless confused the Panthers. And that’s the whole point of the defense McDermott inherited from the late Jim Johnson – to confound.

So when defensive ends Trent Cole and Juqua Parker lined up as linebackers in the “A” gaps – between the center and the guards – Delhomme signaled the alignment to his protection. Somehow, Cole, the Eagles’ best pass rusher, wasn’t picked up and steamrolled up the middle through a gaping hole. He gobbled up Delhomme and punched the ball out of the quarterback’s hands, and fellow end Victor Abiamiri scooped up the fumble and two-stepped into the end zone.

A 7-3 Carolina lead was erased, the tone was set, and the romp was on. And it can be traced to a phantom blitz package that would have delighted Johnson. Even though the Eagles rushed only four players, the Panthers’ six blockers, because of the unusual alignment, believed more were coming and were never in unison.

“That will mess you up,” Cole said. “You’ll say, ‘Whoa, what’s going on here? Why are they doing this?’ . . . They’ll panic because they won’t know what’s going on. That throws everybody off. That’s called good game-planning and scheming by the coach.”

Johnson would sometimes position his ends as “Jokers,” standing a few yards beyond the line. Cole said he occasionally lined up as the Joker over the middle earlier in his career. But McDermott apparently added his own wrinkle, with two ends positioned as linebackers blitzing from the “A” gap.

“We’ve worked on it since training camp, and Trent and the other players have welcomed the opportunity to run up inside,” McDermott said.

On the first play of the second quarter, Carolina faced third and 10 on its 25-yard line. The Panthers split wide receivers Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammed on both flanks. Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett was in the slot.

The Eagles were in their basic nickel package – five defensive backs, two linebackers, and four linemen. Just as many defenses are now doing on passing downs, the Eagles put four defensive ends on the field. But in this particular instance, only two were in a three-point stance – Abiamiri and Darren Howard – and they were lined up as ends in the “C” gaps, just outside both tackles.

At their sides were the linebackers. Akeem Jordan was to the left of Abiamiri, who was opposite right tackle Jeff Otah. Omar Gaither was to the right of Howard, who was facing left tackle Jordan Gross.

Parker was showing blitz, stepping toward and then away from the line. Cole stood still slightly behind Parker’s right shoulder. Delhomme, in the shotgun, pointed at both and called the snap.

Parker blitzed a little outside and was met by center Ryan Kalil. Guard Keydrick Vincent offered help, realized that Otah whiffed on Abiamiri, and tried to get a hand on him. Howard ran into the double-team of Gross and guard Travelle Wharton. Jordan didn’t move as tight end Gary Barnidge fronted him. Gaither went to cover running back DeAngelo Williams, who was moving left out of the backfield.

Cole, meanwhile, paused for a split second before running through a lane as wide as Roosevelt Boulevard. He had a free shot at Delhomme.

“As long as that sucker . . . counts, you don’t say ‘free,’ " Cole said. “We don’t talk like that. If it’s there for you to make the play, you better go get it because you got to get there to make the play.”

Delhomme, who would go on to throw four interceptions, had less than two seconds to evade the 6-foot-3, 270-pound end barreling down on him. He didn’t, and Cole wrapped him up and punched the ball behind the quarterback. Abiamiri, who squirted in between Otah and Vincent, was the first to the football, although Cole and three other Eagles could have had the fumble.

Abiamiri picked up the pigskin, returned it 2 yards, and scored his first touchdown at any level. It also was the Eagles’ first touchdown of the season.

“The ball was right there in front of me,” Abiamiri said. “I just scooped and scored.”

he’ll study film and prevent it happening again next week — cause you know it’s coming. Right now John Abraham is somewhere licking his chops.