Facing Quick-Tempo Offense
November 20th, 2015
Will Chip Kelly outwit Lovie?
A trademark of the Eagles under the rule of chieftain Chip Kelly is a fast-paced offense.
Kelly brought this gimmick with him from Oregon and it has worked to various degrees with the Eagles.
Kelly scoffs at time of possession and instead, wants maximum number of plays. On face value, it adds up. The more plays an offense has, the greater likelihood of scores. Not unlike the more a hockey player shoots the puck, the higher the possibility of a him scoring a goal.
But the fast-paced offense can throw fits at defense, not just in substitutions but through stamina.
Both Bucs coach Lovie Smith and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier discussed Kelly’s offense and both coaches downplayed the pace-of-play factor.
“It can be a challenge,” Frazier said. “You look at the tape and you see teams getting caught with 12 [players] on the field or not being able to match up and not getting calls in, guys turning around and looking for a call. It’s something we’ve talked about. We worked on it yesterday in practice, we’ll work on it again today. That up-tempo can create some problems when you are talking about substitutions, getting the calls in to the defense. All those things are important and we need to keep our composure. Hopefully we’ll have a good enough plan where our guys can go out and play fast.
“We think we are in pretty good shape as well. If they are going fast, we think we can match their tempo because we think we are a well-conditioned team. It’s not so much that as it is what we were talking about earlier – not feeling so much pressure as far as getting the call communicated to everybody because they are standing at the line of scrimmage as opposed to huddling and running their plays.
“[The Eagles’ offense is] not something you see every week where a team is standing at the line of scrimmage calling their plays and doing it at an up-tempo fashion. It’s more of keeping your composure, knowing that their quarterback has to communicate to the offensive line, the receivers, the running backs what the play is and we can get our communication done as well.”
Lovie downplayed the up-tempo offense further.
“[We] use more of an up-tempo approach to our practices,” Lovie said. “You simulate it as best you can. You have to get there. It’s the first time I personally have been part of a group that has played them, so it will be a little bit new, but we want to get set and ready to go right away. If they have time to get set and get the play off, we should have time to do the same thing is how we are looking at it.”
So this should be very interesting. Given Lovie admitted this is his first time forming a defense to battle a Kelly-led fast-paced offense, we should learn rather quickly Sunday if Lovie prepared his charges adequately or not.
November 20th, 2015 at 1:04 pm
Hopefully they’re better prepared for this Eagles offense than the Titans. So Lovie, are you Philadelphia ready?
November 20th, 2015 at 1:40 pm
The thing about this that we should all keep in mind… Our guys play better when they are not thinking so much… IMO, this game is gonna be a really big eye opener to the type of team we really have on D…. It could go south in a hurry but at the same time it could play right into our present strengths and prove to be a true laughing point for our team…
I am looking for a shut out this year for our D….. This week is the week to do it…. Seems unrealistic I’m sure…. However the BUCS are looking for a statement game…
What better place than here what better time than now!!!!
November 20th, 2015 at 1:41 pm
I trust the Bucs D have the effective answer to a quick plays offense. I think the game will be close. A Bucs win will be confidence inspiring.
November 20th, 2015 at 2:01 pm
A win Sunday would be even more sweet to me because I hate the Eagles. Also getting on a winning streak as well as being .500 would be quite an accomplishment for this young team.
November 20th, 2015 at 2:05 pm
That pic of Kelly just makes it that much easier to hate on him.^^^ I SO HOPE our Bucs FINALLY HAVE HIS # come sunday. GO BUCS!!!
November 20th, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Lovie’s gonna outsmart Kelly? I don’t see that happening at all. Easy win for the Eagles. 24-13. All I root for is JW to stay healthy. That’s all we can root for with our inept coach at the helm.
November 20th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
Im thinking Lovie wastes all 3 times out in both halves in the first 5 minutes.
November 20th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
Halfs*
November 20th, 2015 at 3:03 pm
Since Lovie and staff heavily researched Marcus Mariota before the draft, they should be ready for Chip Kelly’s offense. Then again, they sure didn’t look like they were ready for the Titans, so all bets are off. Hopefully, the young corners can cover the quick slant passes and get some deflections and interceptions that the old corners couldn’t touch. Mark Sanchez can be baited into throwing interceptions, so I’m cautiously optimistic.
The big question is, if the Bucs win, will the columnists that stated the Bucs would never get to .500 under Lovie Smith eat their words publicly?
November 20th, 2015 at 3:21 pm
One thing known for sure is that the Bucs won’t have to wait to face the “ooh scary” Eagles fast pace offense. That’s if the Bucs win and defer the kick.
November 20th, 2015 at 3:31 pm
Big dog can bark til he’s hoarse at callers calling him a Eagles fan, I think he is one too and have known for a long time. Closet Eagle fan he is.
November 20th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
Chip will out coach Lovie like nearly every coach does
November 20th, 2015 at 3:58 pm
Is this still a thing? Chip Kelly’s offense has proved to be garbage in the NFL.
November 20th, 2015 at 4:50 pm
Love my Bucs but I don’t see Lovie being able to compete in this one. I’ll take new and inovatative over old conservative any day. Not sure that lovey and team can adjust rapidly enough to be able to compete.
November 20th, 2015 at 4:54 pm
They are the 9th ranked offense…
So they move the ball very well
November 20th, 2015 at 5:08 pm
Lovie had months and months to prepare for the Titans and had absolutely no answer. Hope he surprises me.
November 20th, 2015 at 6:20 pm
Philly is +24 in points scored vs points given up. The Bucs are -46. Need to tighten that up.
November 20th, 2015 at 6:26 pm
Philly is actually +28 points in point differential.
November 21st, 2015 at 10:53 am
Regardless of all the predictions, “That’s why they play the game”
November 22nd, 2015 at 5:12 am
We have to win ” It’s as simple as that.” We know we have to win “As much as anything.”
Just saying lol