5 lessons 49ers can learn from Patriots, Eagles’ Super Bowl run
No. 5: Play-calling separates the good from the great
The target of some criticism in the offseason, Doug Pederson was quick early on to dispel the claims of a boring and ineffective offense. Wentz put himself in the MVP discussion up until he got injured, throwing for 3,296 yards and 33 touchdowns in 13 games.
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The elevated play from Wentz was partly due to the schematics Pederson rolled out every week. Clearly, the offense is definitively better than last year—USA Today’s Steven Ruiz explained it well:
"Pederson elevated and modernized the West Coast offense with college staples like run-pass options and zone reads. The passing game forces defenses to defend every blade of grass with a nice blend of vertical passing concepts and quick throws. The run game is varied, employing zone runs, wham blocks and pulling guards."
And even with Wentz with down, Pederson’s game plan around backup Nick Foles worked wonders. Foles played arguably the best game of his career at the biggest stage, completing 26 of 33 of his passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns.
Shot 2 - Two things about the #Eagles run game stood out. (1) Nick Foles was excellent on RPOs on Saturday, knowing when to throw and when to hand it off. (2) There was a ton of variety. Wham, Inside/Outside Zone, Pin/Pull, Draw, Power, etc. Great game plan from coaches pic.twitter.com/YC4JcNZ7vz
— Fran Duffy (@EaglesXOs) January 16, 2018
Wentz and Foles’ performances are a signal of Pederson’s exceptional ability as a head coach and a play-caller, and it has played a key factor into the team’s success.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been herald as a bright offensive mind, and Pederson’s clever designing in the X’s and O’s should further cement the importance of schematics to Shanahan.
Not many predicted the Eagles to make it to the Super Bowl. The players ultimately decide the outcome of the games, but Pederson and his play-calling deserve a ton of credit for the run.
The 49ers were great were with Jim Harbaugh in the early 2010s, yet their bland offense is what held them back in the end. The elite play-callers are what takes teams deep in the playoffs.