Desai looks like he’ll be a lot more aggressive than Gannon. Former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon mostly called zone defense (12th in zone coverage percentage) and was around the middle of the pack in blitz percentage per dropback (15th).
If the preseason is any indication of what new defensive coordinator Sean Desai has planned, he’s going to be a lot more aggressive. In three games, the Eagles ranked eighth in man coverage percentage and third in blitz percentage per dropback.
It’s not just blitz frequency, it’s the types of blitzes Desai was calling. In the image above, on third-and-11, against the Colts, Desai called a Cover 0 blitz.
The Eagles have one of the NFL’s most talented defensive lines and don’t need to blitz to get to the quarterback, but blitzing does help create more one-on-ones for the defense line. It also gives opposing offenses more to prepare for and keeps them on their toes.
Desai may not keep up this level of aggressiveness in the regular season, but it looks like the Eagles will look to dictate what the offenses do more with scheme than they did last season.
Brandon Lee Gowton:
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