Eagles vs. Giants: Faith in Defensive Line Scheme Pays off for Philadelphia

The driving force behind the Philadelphia Eagles' 17-10 win over the Giants in New York, was a dominant performance from their much-maligned defensive line.

The Eagles' faith in their wide-9 alignments for the defensive ends and their double 3-technique tackles, was rewarded with a stunning effort from their deep and talented line rotation.

Philadelphia's line terrorised the Giants offense all night long. Eli Manning was sacked three times, forced into two costly turnovers and spent most of the game running for his life.

The multiple combinations along the front four also snuffed out any hint of a Giants ground game. Philadelphia's defensive line was chiefly responsible for holding all Giants runners to a paltry 29 yards on 17 carries.

Defensive ends Jason Babin, Trent Cole, Juqua Parker and Darryl Tapp were a constant threat off the edges. The Eagles rotated them all game long and the foursome consistently harassed Manning and chased him out of the pocket.

But the real stars were the tackles. Starters Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson split time with Trevor Laws and Derek Landri.

The group toyed with the interior of a usually stout Giants offensive line and routinely crushed the pocket. Thanks to the tremendous push they created inside, there were always clear lanes of attack for the linebackers.

Manning was also prevented from steeping up and achieving a clean release of the ball. Jenkins, in particular, had one of his better games as an Eagle.

The destructive display of the line provided a measure of vindication for heavily-criticised defensive coordinator Juan Castillo.

The former offensive line coach has drawn the wrath of fans and pundits alike, for the often below-par performances of the Eagles defense this season.

Castillo and line guru Jim Washburn have been scrutinised for the unorthodox way they have chosen to align their linemen.

The wide-9 defensive end alignments have received the most extensive critique. The wide-angled starting point of the ends and their four-point stance, has been semi-mocked by most so-called "experts."

One of the things which always irks this author when people discuss the 4-3 defense, is the assertion that the scheme is archaic and predictable.

Detractors often claim that there is not much you can do with a 4-3. The Eagles deserve credit for proving this wrong and attempting to tweak the 4-3 front to create better pass-rush matchups.

They may have played badly several times during what has been a largely disappointing year. But with the season on the line and on the road against a division rival, the Eagles' defensive front delivered.