A Giant Collision of Defensive Minds
By TIMOTHY PARKER
Updated 12:48 PM EST, Tue, Jan 6, 2009
When Eagles’ Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson looks across the field Sunday he will see a very familiar face -- Giants’ Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
"Spags" and his defense attack await the Birds in the NFC Divisional Round.
It will be like looking into a mirror for both defensive coaches -- not because they look alike but because of their defensive philosophies. Spagnuolo is 17 years younger than Johnson but in the football world, they are almost identical because of their near exact defensive schemes.
It's no coincidence that they are so alike. It can be argued that Spagnuolo learned everything that he knows from watching Johnson.
Johnson arrived in Philadelphia in 1999 at the beginning of the Andy Reid era. A decade later he is still here and many football experts agree that the 66 year old is at the top of his game.
It was Johnson who gave Spagnuolo his first big break into the NFL. "Spags" served as an assistant coach in charge of d-backs and then linebackers under Johnson from 1999 until he graduated to New York in 2007.
Johnson would love to have the same success against his protégé that his boss, Andy Reid, had against his (Vikings’ Brad Childress) in Minnesota.
Spagnuolo had a front row seat as he watched Johnson build one of the most feared defenses in the NFL. A defense built on exotic blitz schemes that especially terrified quarterbacks (just ask Troy Aikman)
It seems impossible for an offense to have any success when the Eagles have a lead because of Johnson's "attack mode." Johnson sends blitzers from anywhere at anytime directly to the quarterback.
Now, under Spagnuolo, the Giants’ defense is instilling that same fear throughout the league. Last season, his first in New York, his defense was a central reason why the Giants marched through three straight road games and into the Super Bowl.
That’s the same success the Eagles are trying to have this playoff run.
Spagnuolo became a lava-hot prospective for a head coaching job because of the G- Men’s defensive terror show in the postseason.
Especially, when his defense shut down the best NFL offense of all time (2007 New England Patriots), in the world’s biggest football game (Super Bowl XLII).
His stock continued to rise as the 2008 season continued to move along and the Giants kept on winning. Wins that included dominant defensive performances against explosive offenses like the Dallas Cowboys.
The good news for the Eagles going into this Sunday’s game is that they put up over 20 points in both match-ups with the Giants this year. Still, the Eagles lost to the Giants in early November specifically because of a short yardage stand by the Giants D.
It’s been a great two years (OK, year and a half) for the Giants defense but it's the Eagles’ D that ranks best in the NFC for the 2008 season.
The Eagles’ defense ranks 3rd (in the NFL) in total yards, while the Giants rank 5th.
The Eagles’ defense ranks 4th (in the NFL) in scoring, while the Giants rank 5th.
Jim Johnson has resurrected an already good defense and made them great again.
Now the questions remains does the Birds' D have enough greatness to knock down the Giants? Let's hope so.
First Published: Jan 6, 2009 11:56 AM EST
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