Following a disastrous end to last season, the Philadelphia Eagles made drastic changes to the team’s coaching staff this offseason.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni understood it was time for a change, as Philadelphia’s offense became predictable and stagnant in 2023.
Kellen Moore was hired as the team’s new offensive coordinator and will bring several refreshing principles to Philadelphia. With training camp underway, Moore’s motion usage has been a hot topic among those in attendance at Eagles practices.
After hardly using pre-snap motion last season, Philadelphia’s offense could look drastically different in 2024. Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and many others should benefit from Moore’s new-look offensive scheme.
Kellen Moore Brings New Look to Eagles With Use of Motion
While the Eagles finished eighth in total yards per game and seventh in points per game last season, Philadelphia’s offense fell apart down the stretch.
Hurts struggled with turnovers, and the Eagles averaged just 225.5 passing yards per game, which was 16th overall in the NFL in 2023.
Considering that the Eagles have arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league and a top-10 tight end, those passing numbers are inexcusable. Philadelphia’s offense became so predictable that San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was able to correctly guess a play based on the team’s pre-snap alignment.
One of the major criticisms of Philadelphia’s offense was the team’s lack of pre-snap motion.
As offenses around the league continue to implement motion, Sirianni’s unit opted against doing so. According to Seth Walder of ESPN, the Eagles ranked last in the NFL in pre-snap motion rate, using the tactic on just 10.9% of their plays.
Final motion report for the 2023 season!
In 2017 NFL teams put a man in motion at the snap 4% of the time, on average. In 2023 the average was 22%!
Data via @ESPNStatsInfo video tracking team. pic.twitter.com/Ar67rJ9yWE
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) January 16, 2024
In comparison, the Los Angeles Chargers ranked eighth in the NFL in pre-snap motion rate with Moore as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2023.
Despite the talent disparity between the Eagles and Chargers, Moore understands that pre-snap motion puts added pressure on the defense to react to what the offense is showcasing.
Several reporters in attendance at Eagles training camp have highlighted plays involving pre-snap motion during practice.
Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation detailed a play where Saquon Barkley initially lined up at outside wide receiver before motioning across the field at the snap, which opened up a massive hole for Hurts to run through.
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While it’s certainly still early in Moore’s tenure with the Eagles, the changes he has made to the team’s playbook are already evident.
Moore’s willingness to use motion will likely make things significantly easier for all of Philadelphia’s playmakers in 2024.
Moore’s Plan Against the Blitz Could Help Hurts Return to MVP Form
Following the departure of former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia’s offense struggled to adjust. While Hurts was an MVP candidate in 2022, he took a noticeable step back last season.
Although Hurts struggled with turnovers in 2023, his continued issues against the blitz were a major concern.
Luckily for Hurts, Moore has had great success putting together strong game plans against the blitz, which is evident from the success of his former starting quarterbacks, Justin Herbert and Dak Prescott.
How poor was Hurts against the blitz last season? According to TruMedia, Hurts completed 112 of 182 passing attempts (61.5%) for 1,272 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions. That resulted in a 75.2 passer rating, and he was also sacked nine times.
In comparison, Herbert excelled against the blitz in his only season working under Moore despite having significantly less talent than Hurts. Herbert completed 95 of 140 passing attempts (67.9%) for 1,048 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions, which resulted in a 104.7 passer rating. He was also sacked nine times.
Yet most impressive is Prescott’s performance against the blitz when he worked with Moore from 2019-22. Prescott completed 312 of 484 passing attempts (64.5%) for 3,824 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, which resulted in a 105.3 passer rating. He was also sacked 23 times.
Another criticism of Philadelphia’s offense was the team’s reliance on the shotgun formation. Hurts was rarely used under center, which hindered different looks the Eagles could present.
According to TruMedia, Hurts dropped back to pass from under center just four times in 2023. In three seasons with Sirianni as head coach, Hurts has dropped back to pass from under center a total of 45 times.
In comparison, Justin Herbert dropped back to pass while under center 47 times in 2023. Dak Prescott dropped back to pass while under center 395 times in four seasons with Moore as his offensive coordinator. Therefore, it’s safe to say Hurts will operate a bit more under center moving forward.
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One final criticism of Philadelphia’s offense was the team’s lack of passing targets in the middle of the field. The Eagles primarily targeted players along the sidelines, rarely attacking the middle of the field.
That decision was especially puzzling given the run-after-catch ability of star wide receiver A.J. Brown. It’s quite jarring to look at Brown’s targets in 2023 in comparison to how Moore utilized former Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen last season.
The Eagles essentially didn’t target Brown at all between the hash marks last season. As shown in the chart below, courtesy of TruMedia, Brown was targeted just twice between the two hash marks last season.
Considering that Brown dominates running both slants and in-breaking routes, he was criminally misused by the Eagles in 2023.
In comparison, Allen was targeted a ton over the middle. Moore’s offense peppered Allen with targets all over the field, especially in the intermediate range. Despite missing four games in 2023, Allen hauled in 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns.
While Philadelphia’s offense certainly struggled in these areas in 2023, Moore will likely incorporate the necessary changes. It’s clear Sirianni understood his offense was flawed, which is why he was willing to hand over control to Moore this offseason.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has put together a roster loaded with playmakers, and now Philadelphia has a competent offensive coordinator in place. Now, it’s time for the Eagles to execute on the field, as there is no longer room for excuses in 2024.
