Eagles vs. Falcons film review: Areas of improvement for the league’s worst run defense

Through two weeks, the Eagles have the worst run defense in the NFL.

Fresh off giving up 152 rushing yards to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night and 163 to the Packers a week earlier, the group ranked 32nd in yards allowed per carry and will have another stiff test on a quick turnaround against the New Orleans Saints this Sunday.

With new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak implementing a scheme reminiscent of his father, former Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, the Eagles should expect to see even more of the wide zone plays that plagued them in the first two weeks of the season.

Where are the specific improvements needed before the team boards the plane to New Orleans? Here’s our film analysis of the Eagles defense against outside zone runs in particular:

Looking through the advanced numbers, it becomes apparent that the number of explosive run plays has been the biggest problem for the Eagles defense. They’ve given up 11 rushing plays of 10 or more yards, according to Next Gen Stats, which ranks 30th in the NFL ahead of only the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts.

» READ MORE: Eagles stats: Defense’s inability to affect the QB and stop the run is a root cause of the devastating loss

There are several contributing factors. Vic Fangio’s system’s preference to limit explosive passing plays with two deep safeties means the group operates out of a light box more often than most defenses across the league (the Eagles have had six or fewer defenders in the box 73.5% of the time, which is the NFL’s third-highest rate). Doing so puts the onus on the defensive linemen to win at the point of attack and, at times, “steal” back gaps to make up for the lack of bodies to occupy them.

The Eagles got gashed by consecutive 7-yard rushes from Bijan Robinson, the second of which came against a light box with the Eagles using nickel personnel with two deep safeties, four down linemen, and two linebackers.

The Falcons consistently lined up in 11 personnel with three receivers to force the Eagles into nickel packages, giving them an advantage in the run game even when Fangio elected to walk a safety down into the box to combat Atlanta’s rushing attack. According to Next Gen Stats, 42 of the 49 runs the Eagles defense has faced this season have come with their opponent in 11 personnel, illustrative of the team’s trouble stopping the run out of nickel packages.

Robinson’s longest run came in the third quarter, even with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson adding to the box count when Atlanta motioned a receiver across the formation and ran wide zone the other direction.

Lined up outside the tackle pre-snap, Eagles edge rusher Bryce Huff shot inside at the snap and out of the play while Atlanta receiver Drake London and tight end Charlie Woerner worked up to the second level to seal off Gardner-Johnson and Darius Slay. Robinson gained 19 yards on the play to get the Falcons into Eagles territory.

Huff got caught inside four plays later as well, this time on a 12-yard run by Atlanta running back Tyler Allgeier with the Falcons sending London on a crack block against Gardner-Johnson. Doing so took advantage of the Eagles’ secondary playing in off coverage with Slay too far off the ball to fill the space vacated by London on the outside.

It’s possible Fangio isn’t asking his edge rushers to, well, set the edge all the time.

Veteran defensive end Brandon Graham, one of the front’s most reliable players so far, slanted inside on a Robinson run in the fourth quarter and managed to affect the second-year running back enough to buy time for Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship to close.

If the edge rushers are cutting inside by design, the responsibility falls to the cornerbacks and safeties to fill on the outside, something that hasn’t been happening consistently through two games even when a safety is helping even the often-lightened box count.

After an impressive Eagles debut, linebacker Zack Baun struggled against Atlanta guard Chris Lindstrom getting up to the second level and cut blocking him.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Graham said the film revealed just how often the Falcons targeted the Eagles’ linebackers with cut blocks to open up the middle of the field.

“When you looked at it, it was like, man, where they were trying to attack us was in the middle,” Graham said. “They were trying to cut off the backside, chop the linebacker and then hit the A-gap in the middle. ... They ran some good stuff. For us, we can’t get defeated by the chop block and we can’t get cut off backside because that’s how teams are going to try to hit us now.”

» READ MORE: Can’t stop the run, can’t win a Super Bowl. Vic Fangio needs to fix his worst-in-NFL unit. Fast.

Both Allgeier and Robinson had 15-yard gains on respective runs following Lindstrom’s cut blocks on nearly identical wide zone calls. It’s worth noting the pair of explosive runs weren’t solely on Baun. Moro Ojomo was washed out of the play on Allgeier’s rush and Milton Williams didn’t fare any better on Robinson’s. To Graham’s point, Jalen Carter wasn’t able to shed his block on the backside either time, contributing to the space as well.

That said, Baun getting taken out of the play was what stressed the defense most on both occasions.

At first glance, these might look like the same play, but they’re not.

As mentioned earlier, the Eagles’ concession of explosive plays rightfully overshadows the handful of effective run stuffs the defense did manage.

There are a couple examples of what it could look like with more consistency.

Jordan Davis, the fulcrum of the defensive front, did a nice job of working downhill against an outside zone play in the first quarter, shedding a block to contain Robinson and set up a tackle by Dean.

Davis was also at the point of attack on an inside run with the Falcons facing first-and-goal at the end of the first half. Atlanta eventually settled for a field goal in part thanks to Davis and reserve defensive tackle Thomas Booker — one of the few standout performers in limited playing time — winning individual matchups.

Gardner-Johnson authored the most pivotal run stop, though, filling the gap on fourth-and-1 to keep Robinson from falling forward late in the fourth quarter.

When asked how the coaching staff will go about fixing the porous run defense Wednesday, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said it will come down to focusing on the fundamentals.

“It always starts with us putting the players in position to make plays,” he said. “But everything, when you talk about run defense and you talk about playing defense, it’s going to start with, ‘Do you get off blocks, can you play on their side of the line of scrimmage when you get off blocks, and can you make the tackles when you get there?’”

» READ MORE: Eagles vs. Packers film review: Quinyon Mitchell

If the first two weeks are any indication, prompt adjustments will be necessary. The Saints have been effective this season with the type of perimeter runs the Eagles struggled with in each of their first two games. New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara is averaging 99 yards per game and 5.7 yards per carry and has reeled off explosive runs against both the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys on outside running plays with Saints quarterback Derek Carr pitching him the ball.

Against the Cowboys, New Orleans rookie left tackle Taliese Fuaga made the difference by getting out into space and leading the way for Kamara, something the Eagles will need to be prepared for.