Film Breakdown: The maturation of Carson Wentz and Eagles' offensive diversity

Each week this season, we'll have an oral history of a play, trend or scheme from the Eagles' previous game using the coaches all-22 film. This week, we spotlight the Eagles' diverse offense and the growing maturation of Carson Wentz and how both played a role in the 34-7 pasting of the Cardinals on Sunday.

Through five games the Eagles offense ranks first in third down conversions and time of possession, third in total offense, fifth in rushing, eighth in passing, and ninth in the red zone.

Wentz: I think that a big part of why we've been so successful to this point is that we're able to move the ball in the air, we're able to move it on the ground – play-action pass, nakeds, you name it. I think that's what makes us tough to defend at times.

The Eagles' scheme and playbook aren't exactly unique. Coach Doug Pederson cribbed much of it from mentor Andy Reid. He has incorporated facets from coordinator Frank Reich, who previously worked with the Chargers, and from other members of the coaching staff. But the Eagles' personnel, notably Wentz, has given the offense a certain dynamic to counter multiple defenses and keep opponents off balance.

MAN-TO-MAN BEATERS

There isn't a NFL defense that exclusively employs man-to-man coverage or zone, although some are predominantly one or the other.

Pederson: Every coordinator is different. For instance, the Chargers two weeks ago was more a zone team. The Giants [and the Cardinals] are man teams, even though Arizona played probably a little more zone than what we expected. This week [against the Panthers] is going to be another zone scheme.

Defensive coordinators, though, will go back and forth, mix and match, and disguise all in the effort to confound offenses. But Wentz has already become skilled at deciphering defenses pre-snap. On this play, the Eagles called a play that had tight end Trey Burton (second Eagle from the bottom) matched up against linebacker Deone Bucannon (second Cardinal from the bottom) in the slot.

Wentz has had previous success with the slot fade and here connected with Burton for a 15-yard touchdown.

Wentz: We took advantage of that mismatch there. Those are things we just have to keep doing. We have the guys, we have the playmakers on the edges that can get off man coverage and can get open and so it makes my job easy.

A series later, the Eagles faced third down and six at the Arizona 11-yard line. Many defenses go with man coverages in the red zone and the Eagles, in this instance, utilized "13" (three tight ends) personnel.

Reich: Sometimes in 13 personnel, because you can't stretch the field down there, the lack of having four-four guys on the outside doesn't really show up because you really can't use that down there. So sometimes a bigger body gives you certain advantages.

The Cardinals blitzed, but Wentz stood in and fired a pass to tight end Zach Ertz (No. 86), who had inside leverage on safety Tyvon Branch (No. 27).

Ertz: Defenses can't really key in on one or two guys. Everyone is kind of getting single coverage. It's just comes down to guys beating guys and we've done that this year.

On back-to-back touchdowns, Eagles tight ends beat man coverage.

Wentz: It's something every week going in of how are [defenses] going to play us when we go with our speed tight ends?

ZONE BEATERS

Last season, the Panthers played as much zone as any team. The key to beating a zone-heavy defense often comes down to a quarterback's ability to read coverages and to having receivers who run crisp routes. On this third down and 11 play, receiver Nelson Agholor (Second Eagle from top) adjusted and found a soft spot in what appeared to be Cover 3.

While the Cardinals often kept a safety in the box, the Eagles haven't yet encountered defenses that go either heavy Cover 2 to take away the vertical game or heavy Cover 1 to stop the run.

Pederson: We haven't seen that transition.

WENTZ AT THE LINE

Wentz had some freedom to check in and out of plays as a rookie, but Pederson and Reich have given him more autonomy in Year 2. He worked extensively on his hard count this spring, not only to get defenders to jump offside pre-snap — the Cardinals had two neutral zone infractions — but also to get them to show their intentions.

Wentz: With a hard count, you're obviously just trying to get a "tell" for what teams are trying to do coverage-wise, pressure-wise, third downs especially. Coverages are over the place, blitzes are all over the place.

On this third down and 11 play, Wentz got all-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson (first Cardinal from bottom) to show that he was playing man-press coverage vs. Alshon Jeffery (first Eagle from bottom). He had a play he liked and didn't audible.

Jeffery dodged Peterson's bump and Wentz hit his receiver for a 16-yard gain.

Wentz: I did see Patrick Peterson come up to jam Alshon and so did Alshon. Alshon made a great move off the line to get inside there. It's definitely a weapon. You got to be smart with how you use it.

The Eagles give Wentz a little more leeway when they go tempo – they call it "take it" – because the quarterback will have more time to get in and out of a play, if need be. Sometimes he has just a run-pass option and sometimes he has several plays from which to choose.

Pederson: I can just call the formation, [Wentz can] get to the line quickly, bark out cadence – kind of what Peyton Manning has done in his career type of thing. And then we have a run or a pass that Carson can get to. But everything is built into the game plan specifically in situations like that for him.

DEEP BALL

The Eagles struggled hitting deep passes in the first three games, but over the last two weeks they've hit on four passes that traveled 30 yards or more, and on Sunday two went for touchdowns.

Reich: It just opens things up. It's hard to go 14, 12-play drives all the time.

Wentz and Torrey Smith (first Eagle from top) got off the snide when they connected for a 59-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The quarterback checked pre-snap from a run to a pass and found his receiver streaking by Cardinals cornerback Justin Bethel (first Cardinal from top).

Wentz: They played a different coverage that they show on tape, but Torrey made a good play … and the O-line did a tremendous job giving me time.

Smith: It was a post [route]. I saw [Bethel] was off and he was looking inside a little bit, so I just made sure I crossed his face and that no one was in the middle of the field. I know that on that play it never really goes there, but with that coverage I know what [Wentz] is thinking and I was expecting it.

The barrage continued in the third quarter when the Eagles' protection picked up a zero blitz and Wentz stepped up and hit Agholor (third Eagle from bottom).

Wentz: They brought an all-out blitz there. … [Center] Jason Kelce made an unbelievable play. He ended up blocking two guys so I shouldn't have had the time to get that one off but he made an unbelievable play.

SCREEN PASSES

If there's one area in which the Eagles have struggled in their passing game it's with their screen game. Defenses have often snuffed out the misdirection ones. Wentz's touch has sometimes been off, as well. Corey Clement (first Eagle from top) did pick up 22 yards on one screen Sunday, although two others failed.

Reich: We hit one big one and missed on one or two others. That's just the nature of screens. Again, we're going to keep running them every week. They're always going to be dialed up. We study them each week. We just have to execute on a more consistent basis.

RUN-PASS OPTION PLAYS

Run-pass option plays, otherwise known as RPOs, can be difficult to defend because there isn't much time to react. Offenses can't go down the field, but the plays aren't designed to pick up bulk yards. Having a mobile quarterback helps because he is a threat to run as he "rides" the running back and often reads an unblocked defender.

Reich: You're either holding it longer to read a defensive end to see if you're going to run it on a quarterback read. Or sometimes you're holding it a little bit longer because it's an RPO and there's a pass involved and you need a split second longer to see if that's going to open up.

On this third down RPO, Wentz held the linebacker with play action and threw in the open window to the slanting Marcus Johnson (first Eagle from top) for a first down.

Reich: It's not a thing that everybody can do. Carson's mind works so fast, and then he's so athletic and can deliver the ball on all kinds of angles, so even if he's riding it a little bit longer, Carson is the kind of quarterback that doesn't have to be in perfect posture to make a good throw.

Only once this season has Wentz kept the ball. He gained only one yard.

Wentz: I should have handed it off, for sure.

DIVERSE RUN GAME

The Eagles run game is its own multi-faceted animal. With running backs of different styles the offense has specific rushes that cater to skill sets.

Reich: You want to go in with enough ammunition that you can play a game and you can change up schemes. You can go from man schemes to zone schemes and once they start catching on to something, then you can change it up.

But each week is its own entity. A week after he rushed for over 100 yards, LeGarrett Blount had only two first half carries against the Cardinals. But with a commanding second half lead, the Eagles fed the 250-pound tailback.

Blount ripped off 37 yards on an outside zone run.

Pederson: We do have specific runs for guys, but all the guys have to know those specific runs.

PLAY ACTION

Success on the ground will typically open play action. A series after Blount's long gain, Wentz fake a handoff on the first play and hit Ertz for eight yards.

The Eagles have run play action more than any other team this season. Wentz is one reason why.

Reich: He carries out his fakes better than anybody I've ever seen.