You may have heard that the Philadelphia Eagles like to blitz.
Of course, saying they like to blitz is kind of like saying a crack fiend is fond of drugs. Simply put, this is a team that makes its living by killing the quarterback. That's not exactly great news for rookie sensation Matt Ryan.
Fortunately for Ryan, the coaching staff is trying to make adjustments to counter Jimmy Johnson and his batguano crazy scheming. If those adjustments don't involve turning our linemen into a wall of stone that stretches the entire length of the field, Ryan is probably going to get hit harder than he has in any game this year. The way defenders pop out of the line reminds me a little bit of this:
The only way to really counter this is by making extensive use of quick outs, fast-developing run plays and using the tight end and fullback as mobile linemen. If the Falcons do that, they can limit the damage to Ryan and perhaps buy him a little time to get his game going. Barring that, it's going to be a rough afternoon.
Thoughts?