Play calling here in Philadelphia is a very sensitive subject. Most knowledgeable sports fans will agree Andy Reid is a very good head coach, with maybe one or two exceptions.
Play calling.
Personally, I feel Reid’s struggles as a play caller are slightly exaggerated, but I do sometimes find myself questioning his methods.
The 2008 season – this one more than any other of Reid’s years as a coach—seemed to be defined by the play calling. Five plays in particular stood out to me as a representation of the year, whether good or bad.
1) Screen pass
This play has been a huge part of the Philadelphia offense over the past five or six years, ever since the team selected Villanova running back Brian Westbrook in the third round of the ‘02 draft.
Westbrook’s quick speed and incredible elusiveness make him great out of the backfield. His specialty is catching a short pass and turning it into a big gain, behind his wall of blockers.
Think the 52-yarder against the Bucs in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter in 2006. Or the 57-yarder to beat Washington a year later.
Or the play against the Niners in ‘03—his first season as a key piece of the Eagles’ offense—in which Westbrook nearly broke Tony Parrish’s ankles with his juke.
This year, it was Westbrook’s memorable 71-yard screen pass to help defeat the Vikings in the first round of the playoffs. The play, which occurred on a standard three-receiver I-formation, capped off an exciting 23-14 win to help the Eagles advance to the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
I think we as Eagles fans can expect to see many more screens in the ‘09 season. Brian Westbrook is a master at this play and LeSean McCoy should be pretty good as well.
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