Interesting read on Johnson and the Eagles offense this year.
Key takeaways:
- Very similar statistical performance this year and last in PPG (28.18 this year and 27.55 last year), Yards per play (5.4/5.8) and 3rd down % (47.3/47.2)
- After all the justifiable complaints about Red Zone, we are now 5th in RZ conversion (62.8%)
- We went 10 for 10 in the RZ against Cowboys, Chiefs and Bills
- He comes off as self-aware and confident in the quotes, and even has a great line about his mom telling him he’s going to give her a heart attack with these crazy finishes.
Eagles defense Is making him look good.
Johnson definitely deserves some criticism but not nearly as much as he gets. His situational play calling at the end of games definitely needs some improvement but outside of that he’s been solid.
Just like Jonathan Gannon last year, he doesn’t pass the eye test. Remember last year we were freaking about Gannon, but you looked at his stats and realized the eagles D showed great stats? In my mind, the only reason they lost the SB last year was because the defense couldn’t make a play. All they needed was one big play in the second half, but Gannon could not dial up a sack, a big tackle per loss or a turnover.
I hope we’re not looking at the same thing with Johnson in some playoff game.
There’s no denying some of the play calling has been abysmal.
I am especially partial at hating the 3rd and 1 shotgun run option, the 3rd and long bubble screens to Julio, and the 3rd and short BOMBS down the sideline when we’re up by 3 or 4 points with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter.
That said, I have seen some play calls that have been great. (The swift quick-handoff in motion, the Brotherly shove TE screen come to mind.)
Just make it easier. If we could hand the ball off to Boston Scott more than once a game and hit AJ Brown with a slant a few times… I’d be a lot happier and a lot less nervous as a fan.
That’s fair
I couldn’t agree more.
I recognize you Undergrad and have appreciated your level-headed posts all season, bro.
Say what you will about stats and records and all that I watch the games. The guy refuses to run Swift…
Swift is currently 4th in the NFL in rushing yards at 770, and he’s never had more than 617 in a season.
But I know, you watch the games.
He’s definitely getting better which I’m happy about. The main thing that drove me nuts were the QB draws on 3rd and long. Those are less frequent.
I do not have the time to do it right now, but it would be interesting to see the number of big plays on actual calls by Johnson vs audibles at the line by Hurts/broken plays where Hurts makes a play. Example in the Chiefs game there were a bunch of questionable calls before we got the big play to Smith down to the goalline, Sirianni straight up said this was an audible by Hurts at the line. We had a bunch of questionable playcalling in the Bills game then we got the big play on the TD throw to Zaccheaus which was on a broken play.