Kellen Moore
Q. The lack of under center usage, is that something that you predicted or want, or is that just based upon the way things have flowed, or is it anything to do with QB Jalen Hurts’ comfortability? (Jeff McLane)
KELLEN MOORE: I think there’s an element of game plan and flow with that. There are times where under center can be very advantageous for us.
Trying to put ourselves in the best position to be successful as far as an offense, and with Jalen’s ability to run, there are some components to being in the gun and the pistol that kind of keep that threat alive in some of those cases. But that’s something that we put some time and effort into this offseason to utilize and we’ll continue to find different spaces to do that.
Q. If you look at QB Jalen Hurts’ run numbers, they are not very good. Why is that? He’s had success on the draw plays, but the zone read plays have not been successful. Why is that? (Jeff McLane)
KELLEN MOORE: We did a similar self-scout study throughout the bye week as far as the read option plays. They have not been as efficient for us. He did have one that got eight yards on Sunday, so that was a positive one. I thought he made an excellent decision and got to the space.
The draw games had been good. The QB sneaks are going to be one- or two-yard gains, and we’re fortunate he gets three or four of those a game it seems like, and so he’s doing a really good job of that. I think there’s still some space there.
Q. Motions are a big story here because of your history and what’s gone on here. Head Coach Nick Sirianni mentioned tempo– there was a lot of tempo– maybe that sort of ticked it down a bit. Is it more game plan or what the quarterback is comfortable with when that number increases or decreases? (John McMullen)
KELLEN MOORE: I think it’s by game plan, putting ourselves in the best position to be successful.
This game, we used a lot more on the ball. Just the way they were structured, we felt very comfortable with playing a little bit on the ball, where we can control the game with the line of scrimmage a little bit more.
And some games are going to be different than that. Certainly, we felt like that was a good thing for us. We were able to get to a couple plays on the ball where you can get a particular look, and so we felt very comfortable with that going into this thing.
We like motion, absolutely. There’s definitely a place for it and so we’ll continue to find spaces for that.
Q. The third-and-one play before the half, Head Coach Nick Sirianni said it was his decision, what was the thinking there? That if you don’t get the completion, you’re going to go fourth-and-one or what was the thinking and what was the conversation like leading up to that? (Bob Brookover)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, we bang the timeout right before it, had a third-and-one. Had a potential decision to make as far as a run play– [Browns Defensive Coordinator Jim] Schwartz gave us a particular look that we felt very comfortable with, and we had an opportunity to be aggressive there and so we felt really close.
We felt like we had a great opportunity there. We just missed it from a protection standpoint. Had somebody running down the middle of the field, and so felt like that was — you’re only going to get one or two of those, and those are sometimes those automatics that sit on the menu and you’re waiting for that right time.
Really, really unfortunate to get in the sack situation there because we could have fallen back on a fourth-and-one and played that thing out.
Q. RB Saquon Barkley lined up on the opposite side of QB Jalen Hurts where the pressure came. How much harder does that make it for a running back when you’ve got to cross over? (Bob Brookover)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, it’s not easy. Certainly not easy and something that we’ve worked on, and it’s kind of a late-in-the-cadence adjustment based on their particular look. We felt good about it. It just didn’t happen. You get frustrated with that. We gave ourselves a close opportunity there.
Q. On the play before that, the second-and-one, they never showed a replay but looked like RB Saquon Barkley had a little room to get to the sticks there. What did you see on film on that play? (Reuben Frank)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, obviously it was a close situation. We ran a number of plays on the ball in a row, and we felt like it was advantageous. It kept 95 [Browns DE Myles Garrett] off the field, and so we were trying to play that game as much as we could.
Second-and-one, to fall back into third-and-one, a missed an opportunity for us to try and get the first down and then get out of bounds. When the game is going really fast, sometimes you lose track of downs and seconds.
We emphasize getting out of bounds when you can. In a perfect world, are we getting the first down? Absolutely.
Q. After being fully healthy entering the Browns game, and the early scripts yielding two punts, what do you review the process of those? (Brooks Kubena)
KELLEN MOORE: One of these days we’ll start fast. It’s something that we’ve put a lot of time and effort into, continuing to work and evolve and find our space there because it hasn’t happened. Simple as that.
We’ll continue to work towards this. Obviously, it’s not good enough right now.
Q. Regarding the lack of throws to the middle of the field. (Zach Berman)
KELLEN MOORE: I think against Cleveland, the way their coverages played out, they kind of packed the middle a little bit and had some isolations outside a little bit more one-on-one. Within the tempo offense, we were able to find the one-on-one opportunities.
And so, something our guys have put a ton of investment into. They feel comfortable with it. They do an excellent job with it. Would we love to attack the middle of the field as time evolves? Absolutely. And we’ll continue to find spaces for that.
Q. What were the issues you had defending the run against Browns DT Dalvin Tomlinson? It seemed like you had trouble blocking. (Jeff McLane)
KELLEN MOORE: They do an excellent job packing the box, so we felt like there were going to be some dirty runs in there and hopefully we’re going to be able to pop a few. We were close on a couple. We felt like there were some close opportunities. I thought getting the toss game going a little bit was a nice change up for us.
It’s a game where the way their rush is, you don’t want to sit and drop back a ton with 95 [Myles Garrett] and some of the challenges that can present. And so, we felt like we were close.
We didn’t get any of the spring out for those big plays like we had in the previous few games, and so we felt like we were heading in the right direction. Ultimately didn’t reach that big goal, the big explosive plays that you’re looking for, but we’re heading in the right direction.
Q. Obviously you’re facing one of the best nose tackles in the league. Does that give you concern heading into this game against Giants T Dexter Lawrence II, the interior line and blocking him up? (Jeff McLane)
KELLEN MOORE: It’s definitely a big awareness for us going through the game plan process already the last day and a half. He’s one of the premiere players in this league. He’s having an excellent season. A lot of focus and attention with this game plan will go towards him.
Q. The deep ball that iced the game late, obviously successful, but are you okay with the process of QB Jalen Hurts checking to a lower percentage play? (Dave Zangaro)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, we talked through the process of that during the time out. We talked through it to the point that we felt very comfortable with it based on the look of the defense and the opportunity it presented.
They made the adjustment that we had talked about, and obviously there’s a lower percentage, but [WR] A.J. [Brown] one-on-one felt like a very comfortable opportunity there. He made a phenomenal play. Jalen made a nice throw. It was a big play by those two guys.
Q. How would you compare the play designs here to what you’ve done in the past? (Zach Berman)
KELLEN MOORE: Every process is different, and we go about it as a collective group. We do an excellent job. It’s been a really fun process here as we kind of build, ultimately focus on what the 2024 Eagles put in the best position to be successful.
So, we’re continuing to build. Continuing to grow. There’s a lot of good things we’ve been doing and a lot of things that certainly we want to improve on that we’re focused on, and we’ll continue to work on those things.
Q. When you have receivers like WR A.J. Brown and WR DeVonta Smith, how much is it relying on choice for them in passing situations? (Brooks Kubena)
KELLEN MOORE: A lot of it is defined and certainly there are going to be certain plays and situations where we communicate that there’s an ability to make an adjustment based off the route. It happens a few times in games.
And so, we talk about those things continuously. I thought at the end of the game, we had one right there that we are very comfortable with, and those guys do an excellent job. I think the biggest thing, when you do it in practice and rep it, it’s time on task. Those guys communicate at a really high level.
Q. How much does T Jordan Mailata not being there change what you can do as an offense especially against a team that leads the league in sacks? (Bob Brookover)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, these guys have done an excellent job of getting after the quarterback. It’s something we’ve got to be aware of. I think this is a really, really sound defense. They are sound in their coverage plans. They let the front four rush. They blitz you just enough to keep you honest and have to handle all different variables.
So, this will be a big challenge for us. They have done an excellent job. Jordan has obviously been playing some really, really good football. We are fortunate to have [T] Fred [Johnson] here and the different types of guys that we can put in there, however this thing plays out.
New Orleans was a great example. We need guys to step up. They stepped up. Fred stepped up phenomenally on Sunday. Even in the last play, he’s one-on-one with 95 [Myles Garrett] and there’s a risk component associated with that, and he did an excellent job.
Q. Losing TE Dallas Goedert three plays in, TE Grant Calcaterra got involved. How much of that was design versus processing where the football should go? (John McMullen)
KELLEN MOORE: I thought Grant played just a phenomenal game. He played almost every snap of the game. Again, next man up type situation. Grant has done a phenomenal job all year.
For him to come in there and handle all the workload he handled, and a couple passes went his way. He did a great job, run-after-catch, big-time plays. We feel really, really comfortable with Grant. Fortunate to have [TE] Jack [Stoll] here, when he came back, that he can hop in there and play 30-plus snaps going into a game that maybe his role was different.
And so, we’re fortunate to have these guys that can jump up when situations come up like that and handle those things.
Q. What was the advantage you thought you were getting by playing so much 12 even without TE Dallas Goedert? (Bo Wulf)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, just basically specific looks based off the defenses. We felt like we had some recognition based off being in 12 personnel and understanding what coverage calls they had. We felt comfortable that we were able to get to a couple plays we were looking forward to.
Q. You flipped between WR Johnny Wilson and TE Jack Stoll a bit there – In 74 snaps, Jack Stoll has only had two targets in the slot. Do you think he demands enough attention to be there? (Brooks Kubena)
KELLEN MOORE: Part of that was the tempo operation of just trying to keep them in certain personnel groups and playing fast and utilizing that. We feel very comfortable with Jack and Johnny, and obviously we feel great about these guys.
These guys have done an excellent job. From a target standpoint, it may not have gone their way, but if the ball goes their way, we are more than comfortable with those guys.
Q. Why was play-action low in this game? (Zach Berman)
KELLEN MOORE: Really based off the tempo operation and just getting specific looks based off them. I think, again, we felt like we had some indicators based off looks we could attack them in specific ways, and it became a little bit more of a drop-back emphasis in those situations. We’d love to have the play-action numbers go up, and we’ll continue to find opportunities for that.