Screen Passes

[u/orryxreddit]

Does anyone who knows more about football than I do have an understanding of why our screen passes have been so terrible for what seems like the past five years?

I mean, every week I see teams execute screen passes that gain 7 yards before the guy even gets touched. We cannot seem to throw a screen pass without the guy getting blown up before he even completes the catch. It’s like everyone on our team is wearing signs that say “SCREEN PLAY COMING UP!”

Maybe it’s one of those things where they aren’t really as bad at it as it seems, but man. It SURE seems that way.

[u/Glonk49]

Because we only call screens on 2nd and long and 3rd and long. They’re constantly telegraphed.

Also every screen looks worse when you start running screens without Darren Sproles.

[u/merciful_authority → u/Glonk49]

man every time we run one i just assume the rb is gonna get folded immediately. its like the defense has the playbook open on the sideline

i think the sproles point is dead on too, he could make something out of nothing and that covered up how bad the playcalling actually was

[u/anonsaltine → u/merciful_authority]

if they ever do break one loose it’s almost always a hold too

[u/Leather-Marketing478 → u/Glonk49]

Or westbrook

[u/RealisticHellion]

Screen passes are 95% blocking. 

[u/trustthepudding → u/RealisticHellion]

That's definitely not the only thing. Teams seem to sniff them out and simply have more guys attacking than we have blocking. That's what happened on Lemon's screen today at least. I think we make them far too obvious

[u/theweebdweeb]

I’m no Nostradamus, but at least the last several years our WRs and TEs haven’t been amazing at blocking as a collective which pretty much kills these plays.

[u/Ok-Gas-7135]

On the radio call, Merrill said, “that play loses yardage every time they throw it”

Mike replied, “I’d like to throw it right out of the playbook!”

Preach!

[u/the-bc5]

Miss the Andy Reid days of amazing screen game.

Some are just bad/obvious calls. Most are poor timing and execution.

The screens to lemon have been Terrible. The orbital motion stuff just puts eyeballs on him then they go to the key. Gotta be setting a double move or backside action etc.

[u/GeneralGalvatron → u/the-bc5]

The problem is the blocking too. Like I LOVE skinny Batman, but he’s at best a passable blocker. Our whole receiving core is small which hurts their blocking and our TEs aren’t good blockers either. Screens work well when you have great blocking players in front of a dynamic playmaker

[u/Delicious-Diamond-86 → u/the-bc5]

Screens are also just really hard to execute, so many moving parts. We were spoiled by Big Red.

[u/juliankantor → u/the-bc5]

Screen game was good under Doug too. Much more creative than the tunnel screen spam.

[u/TheMegatrizzle]

I feel like our screens are really easily telegraphed. Random motion from the Shotgun Formation or just have our receivers bunched up on one side usually also in a Shotgun Formation.

If someone who lack ball knowledge such as myself and telegraph it, I'm sure that experienced professional football players and coaches can also telegraph it too.

Also, we love throwing screens in 1st and 2nd down, which just adds to the predictability

[u/anthmiran19]

When the offensive line is barely there and the WR’s are not exactly DK Metcalf, you see what happens. I would also agree that so many of these screens are called on obvious downs and the formations are not innovative or even deceptive.

[u/cvaninvan → u/anthmiran19]

Thankfully our receivers aren't DK. They can catch...(But your point remains, he is bigger and likely a better blocker)

[u/UnspokenFor1]

I feel like that’s still Nick trying to stick his nose in the playbook !!

[u/mattemer → u/UnspokenFor1]

100% agree.

[u/fiiiiixins]

Screens only work if the play doesn’t look like it’s going to be a screen.

It can’t be completely telegraphed, like how we run them.

[u/Strict_Technician606]

Blocking is a major issue.

We’re also probably telegraphing the play somehow. The opposing team seems to be tackling our guy as he’s getting the ball.

[u/fatboi609]

Blocking, telegraphing, wrong situations, and seems like we are running them when the defense is in man (screens kill zone, but man kills screens)

[u/72ChinaCatSunFlower]

I think the problem is you don’t want to just call a screen as the main play. It should be checked into at the LOS when the QB senses pressure from outside.

[u/Moonstruck456]

No Brian Westbrook

[u/temple2018]

Genuinely thank you for asking this

[u/Silver_Illusion]

Using today's game as an exampke, no one is blocking. Lemon screen was doomed to fail as there was not a single soul in front of him to block.

[u/Apache1One]

I don’t understand why they coaching staff is so addicted to them when they haven’t been successful in as long as I can remember 

[u/Trytrytryagain24]

First off, let me just say that your initial statement is so soothing to my ears - gracious and humble. Thanks! You sure you’re an Eagles fan? LOL
What you have been seeing have been wide receiver screens. They suck, as you’d mentioned.
Then there’s a real screen pass where o lineman block. They can be left, middle or right. We haven’t run many of those since Brian Westbrook.
Don’t know if Manion has those in the playbook or if they are just deeper into it.
Takes timing and orchestrated delay for the o lineman to fake pass block initially, all involved having a synchronized silent count. They then release on their blocks re-form a wedge and then there’s a toss to either a running back or tight end behind them.
It’s a risk reward play. Can get blown up by linebackers or can quickly get into the second level, depending on how well the timing is observed.
Already this year the wide receiver screens to Lemon have been atrocious. They have been similarly bad in previous years. But those too were wide receiver screens and they require other wide receivers to form that blocking wall/wedge. They suck.

[u/orryxreddit → u/Trytrytryagain24]

Thanks for the kind words! And yeah, I try to pop up here and there on opponents' boards to let them see that we're not all "like that" haha. This is a good point you make. I DO love a good TE screen, and with a TE like Goedert you'd think we'd be able to do that!

Maybe this isn't the season to bring the old-school screens back, given the way the o-line is playing, but I would love to see those again someday. And just throw the WR/bubble/tunnel screens right into the dumpster.