Hello Stormcloud!
Today I’ll be doing a deep-dive on how the Chargers’ defense can play to their own strengths to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Week 14’s Monday Night Football. The first thing to say is that is anyone is expecting a repeat of Week 13’s gameplan they should remove that thought long before kickoff, as fun as it was to see!
The Chargers may have manhandled the lowly Raiders with that wholesale shift to a single-high, man-heavy, run-first scheme however I do not expect that to be repeated against the Eagles or against other teams that have the kind of physically talented offensive weapons that Philly can boast. Kevin Patullo’s offense has struggled in recent weeks as teams have all come to the same conclusion that if you can play disciplined 2-high coverages and get modest pressure, you will find yourself in the game.
Philadelphia Eagles Passing Efficiency:
- Against 1-High Coverages: +0.149 EPA/Dropback (11th) 48.4% Success Rate (14th)
- Against 2-High Coverages: -0.055 EPA/Dropback (25th) 41.8% Success Rate (28th)
It is therefore easy to work off the basis that the Bolts will revert back to type. However, that has its own drawbacks in the ground game. So what Jesse Minter will do from the 2-high basis depends on how they expect the Eagles plan to attack them, and for that I believe I have the answer: Patullo’s offense seems to be based on a few key concepts that work in a well defined simplistic sequence.
- Play bully ball on double teams to free up the ground game (Inside Zone/Duo).
- Use RPO Glance (Zone killer) or Under Center PA (Man killer) once the linebackers are being put in conflict by the run game.
- Use quick game from Shotgun to attack the soft spots of zone coverage that the Apex players are neglecting.
- Take downfield shots if the defense start to commit another safety to the box.
So how do the Chargers go about beating them; if they stay in their old 2-High Quarters, their minus run fits will free up the ground game and risk Saquon Barkley getting loose. But if they go into their Week 13 game plan they will be exposing their corners to staying with two incredible receivers in A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith.
Well to answer this we first need to back up and look at who our defensive coordinator is and look to his past to understand how he should be in a good position to answer these questions.
Gameplan Introduction
When the Chargers brought Jesse Minter to Los Angeles, they weren’t just hiring a defensive coordinator for the future, they also gained a scheme that was manufactured to slow down the next wave of offensive trends climbing through from college to the NFL. His Michigan defenses were built to survive in a world where the RPO is the default expression of modern offense. Every Saturday he faced conflict-creation machines designed to pry open space with glance routes, to stress the apex, and to punish rotation. Yet every Saturday he defended them from his base structure, not exotic distortion.
This is why the matchup against Philadelphia is so compelling. The best parts of the Eagles’ offense; Hurts running an RPO, is a familiar problem to any coach who has spent time in the college game over the last decade. Minter already has the answers baked into the coverage language which he speaks fluently. Pattern Match Coverages such as Stump, Stubbie, Poach, and all the other coverages calls that make up the Split-Field family (Cover 7 In Nick Saban’s language) remove the very conflict RPOs depend upon. The goal shouldn’t be to merely survive their reliable conflict concepts, it’s to take advantage of them.
First let’s remind ourselves of how Split-Field coverages work.
I could spend half a year researching and writing something to explain the principles of this coverage philosophy and not even scratch the surface of how well the following video illustrates the scheme:
“To Pattern Match as a defense, means to divide your coverage up based on the passing pattern the offense are trying to execute. Instead of a defender being tasked with covering a specific area or offensive threat, defenders will distribute the weapons based on route depth and direction.”
My favorite summary quote from the video by Thinking Football
The reason I am setting the scene for more split-field coverage principles is that I believe the game plan should be built around two things; stopping the Eagles’ RPO game and getting safety help to Poach crossers from the slot. Therefore, the following is my idea of a game plan that lets the Chargers remain themselves while quietly taking away those two pillars of Philadelphia’s early-down identity.
1. Stump as an Early-Down RPO Tool
Philadelphia’s RPO world often begins in 2×2 out of 11p. This is where concepts like Glance gives the quarterback a clean, leverage-based throw as long as the apex defender is held in conflict. Stump becomes a compelling early-down call not because it overwhelms the offense, but because it gently removes the read that makes the play work so well.
Let’s breakdown how Stump, and its counterpart Stubbie, work as coverages. They both belong to the Cover 7 design where you are trying to build a triangle to the strong side between the apex defender (S on the diagram below), the Strong safety and the Mike. This coverage family is built to respond to how the #2 (H on the diagram below) plays so that they can trigger early and aggressively to respond to the concepts they expect from these looks.
The difference between Stubbie and Stump is the strong side corner’s role. If the Chargers had the confidence in two corners to play A.J. Brown in press man coverage then they would run Stubbie using MEG (Man Everywhere he Goes) to slow down the Glance concept. However as the Chargers don’t let their corners follow receivers and even then I don’t think Cam Hart is up to the lofty task of locking Brown down, I think Stump will work better.
To handle Glance or similar in-breaking routes from Stump, the alignment of the strong side corner matters to prevent A.J. Brown getting too much space to operate:
- Depth: 6–7 yards, enough to see both the mesh and the route.
- Leverage: Full shade inside, immediately squeezing the glance stem from that one step advantage.
- Technique: Tight 1/3: A calm, flat-footed read that lets him stay square before opening and matching the break.
Aligned this way, the strong side corner can control the timing and angle of the Glance without needing early safety rotation. The rest of the coverage flows naturally from here. The Stump safety buzzes down after the mesh point, overlapping any in-break and arriving as a top-down cap. With the safety replacing him post-snap, the apex defender is freed to fit the run decisively rather than hover in the gray area that RPOs depend on. The net effect isn’t a dramatic schematic swing; it’s a reshaping of leverage. The quarterback’s rhythm is altered, the window tightens from both sides, and the RPO becomes something the defense can navigate on its terms.
Last season the Minter ran Stubbie as their answer to the Chiefs’ RPO threat but the switch to Stump in this game shouldn’t change who the Chargers are, it reinforces what they have been trying to this season. They should find comfortable familiarity as they use a two-high pattern matched coverage to answer to one of Philadelphia’s favorite early-down staples. The difference comes in how the Apex players are going to be taught to read their keys. That’s not an easy task in one game week however Daiyan Henley and Derwin James have experience of this under Brandon Staley so the transition won’t be such a leap.
2. Handling 3×1: Poach, Special, and MEG as Complementary Answers
When the Eagles shift into 3×1, particularly on late downs, the nature of the threat evolves. The RPO pressure dissipates, but the vertical and intermediate spaces widen, especially for A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Here, Minter’s quarters/Cover 7 world offers a set of options that work together more than they compete with one another.
Poach
Poach is especially helpful when Brown is isolated as the X. The weak safety can overlap anything inside from No. 3, letting the corner keep inside leverage and stay top-down without worrying about an uncontested dig or glance behind him. It’s a subtle structural way to prevent free access to the weak side without sacrificing the integrity of the shell.
Stubbie/Special
Stubbie or Special fit neatly against the strong-side stress of 3×1. With the safety and nickel sharing No. 2’s vertical or inside release, the corner can remain patient on No. 1. This naturally compresses seams and crossers, exactly the areas Philadelphia often targets in its shot plays. Nothing feels forced; it’s a coverage that aligns itself with the spacing the offense presents.
MEG Changeups
When the Eagles reduce splits or lean into isolation routes, as they have been doing at an increasing rate, MEG can serve as a helpful complement. It gives Minter a way to neutralize quick cuts or condensed stems without having to rotate or shade the entire structure. This would essentially be a way of bracketing the Eagles star players without over committing to the man coverage talents of the Bolts’ cornerbacks.
Together, these tools allow the Chargers to adjust without abandoning the two-high world that supports their early-down RPO plan.
3. Inside Zone & Duo: Can the Chargers find a way to stay in Neutral run fits?
A major question in this matchup is whether Los Angeles can maintain 7-man spacing against Philadelphia’s Inside Zone and Duo based ground game, especially with the RPO elements attached. Many defenses feel they need to move toward 6-man spacing to protect the integrity of their coverage, but doing so often means giving up structure elsewhere. Minter’s background suggests the Chargers can stay in 7 and still hold the point:
- The Bolts’ Apex players (Derwin & Henley) aren’t just space defenders; they have the physical talent to play Force and fold with intent. Even if Minter wanted to run some Dime, Tarheeb Still fits the run to a decent standard.
- The Split-Field Stump structure (and later the Poach/Stubbie/Special world in 3×1) helps remove pressure on the linebackers to cheat toward glance threats.
- The OLBs (Mack & Tuli) have been setting a hard edge without the threat of a boot action QB and that is something Jalen Hurts has rarely ever done.
- The Safeties (Molden and Jefferson) have filled the weak side B gap in 7-man spacing principles very well in recent weeks, that will have to continue to limit Saquon’s explosive abilities.
This keeps the disguise intact, prevents easy access to vertical seams, and gives the Chargers clean leverage in the alley. The key will be getting the weak side safety to be able to get a clean run/pass read as he has the conflict of a gap responsibility and capping the backside X receiver. This is probably the weakest part of the game plan.
If they are getting overran by the Eagles attacking these lighter neutral fits (still not quite Minus fits) then look for the coaches to switch to more 3-4 Tite/Mint Fronts however I see this as a backup plan as the Bolts are still lacking a true Nose Tackle to hold the point of attack.
4. Beyond the RPO: How the Eagles Transition Into Dropback
I mentioned earlier that when Philadelphia moves past the RPO phase of a drive, their dropback approach shifts toward simplifying the picture for Hurts as that suits his processing type. They draw on the following concepts:
- Zone beaters from condensed splits (Dagger, Mesh, Spot)
- Isolated man-beaters (Slant/flat, China, speed-outs)
- Vertical shots when they sense rotation early
Minter’s defense has an opportunity here to make these concepts feel less automatic. The goal here should be to encourage progression reads over leverage reads, something the Eagles are less efficient at when forced off their first trigger. The Split-Field family of coverages all contribute to that aim in different ways. They help avoid presenting early rotation, they manage leverage without drifting out of structure, and they encourage Hurts to hold the ball long enough for the rush to matter.
If you want to learn more about the Eagles offense before the game I suggest you check out this brilliant analysis by Billy Stephens.
5. Pressure From the Apex: Derwin James is a huge part of this gameplan
In Week 13 Jesse Minter showed some beautiful concepts where he sent Derwin on a blitz and had two players bracketing Brock Bowers in behind him. This time there isn’t a need for a bracket as Dallas Goedert isn’t the same level of threat so the Bolts can be a bit more cavalier with the coverage choices in behind the pressure package. Also, with the Eagles navigating injuries and consistency issues along the offensive line, well-timed pressures from Derwin become a meaningful means of attack as replacement offensive lines tend to struggle with identifying creepers from the apex zones.
The best thing about this concept (as shown above) is that by running Stump as the primary coverage, it means that Derwin can be given a simple set of rules when aligned over Dallas Goedert to allow him to play fast and free:
- If the TE blocks, he fits the run
- If the TE releases, he matches him until the back flares out
- However, if a blitz is called then he will be in perfect position to attack without being identified pre-snap. From here:
- A late rotation occurs behind him.
- He inserts as a delayed blitzer into the B or C gap.
It looks like standard RPO structure until the last moment, and then the picture changes just enough to challenge protection. Hurts has historically struggled when the protection shifts late and the apex is no longer his read key, a problem this approach can recreate.
Summary: Collating the methods of attack
What makes this plan potent in my eyes isn’t any single concept we have described, it’s the way the pieces complement one another:
- Stump slows the early-down RPO world from 2×2.
- Poach and Stubbie/Special handle the spatial challenges of 3×1 without compromising structure.
- MEG changeups prevent predictability.
- 7-man spacing holds the run game in check.
- Apex pressure adds another dimension without sacrificing disguise.
The Chargers don’t need to reinvent themselves to handle Philadelphia. They can stay within the system Minter has installed and let the structure do much of the quiet work.
Conclusion
The risk in defending the Eagles in the manner described, allows the offense to dictate who you become. The encouraging part for Los Angeles is that the tools Minter has brought from Ann Arbor are designed for exactly this challenge. They help maintain a two-high world, reduce conflict, and keep leverage intact; all while respecting the talent the Eagles put on the field.
If the Chargers lean into these concepts, they don’t eliminate the Eagles’ answers altogether, but they can subtly shift the game into a space where Philadelphia has to operate on full-field timing rather than single-key triggers. That’s where the Eagles have found themselves being undone in several ugly performances across the season and its where the Chargers will hope to find themselves come the late hours of Monday Night.
