This year, along with the All-22 offense and defense reviews after each Eagles game, I will also be writing a segment called ‘Concept of the Week.’ This will focus on breaking down a specific concept or play on offense and defense to provide a more detailed explanation, helping you recognize these plays in future games. To start off, we will analyze DeVonta Smith’s touchdown against the Cowboys.
Crash
Surprisingly, I have not yet covered the Eagles’ frequent use of the Crash passing concept this year, despite it being one of their most common passing concepts over the past two years. They consistently run it. If you have heard me talk about the Smash concept, you’ll find Crash to be similar. Smash involves a short hitch route from the outside receiver and a corner route from the inside receiver.
Similarly, Crash is a 2-man concept featuring a short in route from the outside receiver and a deep out route from the slot receiver. The beauty of Crash lies in the ability of the receivers to adjust their routes slightly based on the coverage, as illustrated in the diagram below.
This 2-man concept is particularly effective against teams employing man coverage. The outside cornerback typically maintains outside leverage, giving the wide receiver an edge. While not as effective against zone coverage, the quarterback often chooses a side pre-snap due to the 2-man route concept. It’s common to pair Crash with a concept on the opposite side, such as a 3-level stretch, that is more suited for zone coverage.
The Eagles have incorporated Crash frequently, exploiting Jalen Hurts’ strengths, especially his deep out throws. Over the past few seasons, the Eagles have executed Crash consistently, as shown in this week’s touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith.
9) The Eagles have gone from the worst team in the NFL against the blitz in 2023 to a team that excels against it. This is Crash once again. It’s so easy. The OL wins their one-on-one matchups and they give McKee the time needed to complete the short route. DeVonta does the rest! pic.twitter.com/i8eh6jZ77X
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) December 31, 2024
Additionally, here are some bonus clips showcasing the Eagles executing the Crash concept in games over the past few years.
Eagles Offense All22 vs. Cowboys. 1) Hurts was in a really good rhythm al LM throughout the game. Here’s a huge throw on 4th down on Crash (the Eagles favorite concept right now). Goedert is so good as these intermediate out routes and he does a great job here. pic.twitter.com/ICdwmz48hb
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) November 6, 2023
2) I’m not sure any other Eagles concept had any other real success except for Crash. They must run it 5-10 times a game, and it feels pretty much unstoppable when AJ Brown is facing one-on-one man coverage. You can tell how much more decisive Hurts is when it’s a concept he’s… pic.twitter.com/3x6heSmoxI
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) December 5, 2023
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